Outside the window, the north wind howled, but the warm glow inside the room dispelled the chill of the cold night.
Xie Zheng gazed at the girl whose bright eyes sparkled in the candlelight, and the dark, scarred emotions in his heart were miraculously soothed. He raised his hand slightly and, under Fan Changyu’s stunned gaze, pulled her into his embrace.
His dark eyes calmly fixed on a certain direction, yet beneath that calm seemed to lurk something far more chilling. "The Han Family is nothing. There will be plenty of chances to deal with them later. Tonight, we’ve already alarmed the officers from the Court of Revision. It’s not wise to go to the Han Family now. Get some rest. At the fifth watch of the night, I’ll take you back to the Office of Presentations."
Staying at the Office of Presentations meant exposing every move to the imperial court’s scrutiny.
Changyu had only managed to slip out tonight by disguising herself as one of the guards sent out for supplies. At dawn, the kitchen staff would head out again to purchase ingredients, and she could blend in with them to return.
Half-leaning against Xie Zheng, Changyu wasn’t tired despite the night’s prison break. However, the way he held the back of her neck made it awkward to lift her head, forcing her to crane her neck at an odd angle. "I’m not sleepy right now. If the steward of Changxin Prince Manor is also in that prison, why don’t we strike while the iron is hot and break him out too?"
Her earnest expression as she spoke—wide-eyed and sincere—was like the most diligent student suddenly declaring with perfect calm that she was about to commit arson and murder.
Xie Zheng’s hand, which had been stroking her hair, stilled. He remained silent for several breaths.
Changyu asked awkwardly, "No good?"
Xie Zheng pressed his fingers to his temple, then glanced down at her, the corner of his mouth lifting faintly. "Not tonight. The Court of Revision isn’t like other prison holds. Once they tighten security, not even a fly could slip through. Though many troops are scouring the city for the escaped prisoners tonight, most are from the Five Cities Patrol Command. The Court of Revision won’t lower its guard. Trying another prison break now would be walking straight into a trap."
Changyu scratched her head sheepishly. "Alright."
She wasn’t familiar with the capital’s military deployments and had assumed that drawing away so many officers tonight would make this the perfect moment for a surprise attack.
Xie Zheng arched a brow. "Your study of military strategy seems… lacking?"
Changyu tugged at her hair. "I’ve only just returned to the capital. I’ve been stuck in the Office of Presentations every day—how would I know the exact duties of each Capital Office? On the battlefield, I’d never be so reckless. A single battle decides the lives of hundreds, even thousands of soldiers! I only suggested it because I knew that with our skills, even if we couldn’t break the steward out, we’d never get caught."
Xie Zheng asked, "Have you finished the military treatises I gave you?"
Changyu straightened instinctively, like a student called upon to recite. "I’ve finished two. The third one’s just started."
"Which two?"
Just as Changyu was about to answer, a clamor erupted outside.
"Open up! Open up!"
"Sirs, this—this isn’t proper! Our guests are all asleep—how can we disturb them in the dead of night?"
"The Court of Revision has lost a criminal of imperial importance. We’re searching every household! Anyone who obstructs will be treated as accomplices of criminals designated by the Emperor!"Fan Changyu and Xie Zheng were both trained in martial arts, possessing exceptionally sharp hearing. The moment they detected the commotion outside, their expressions darkened.
The soldiers had already entered the courtyard. If they were to step out now, they would undoubtedly be discovered, and all their efforts would be wasted if they were recognized.
As the soldiers' footsteps drew closer, Xie Zheng swiftly extinguished the candle with a flick of his sleeve. Raising his head, he said to Fan Changyu, "Replace the hot tea in the pot with the cold water from the washbasin."
Fan Changyu picked up the teapot from the table and poured all the tea into a potted plant in the room before refilling it with the cold water from the basin.
The tea had been brewed by the old innkeeper when he led them inside earlier. Fan Changyu had no idea what Xie Zheng was scheming, but given the urgency of the situation, she didn’t have time to ask and simply followed his instructions.
By the time she placed the teapot back on the table, Xie Zheng had already pressed some hidden mechanism by the bed. Fan Changyu heard the faint, muffled sound of a stone slab sliding open.
By the dim torchlight filtering through the windows, she barely made out that one side of the bed had sunk down, revealing a hidden compartment barely large enough to fit two people lying down.
Xie Zheng looked at her. "Get in."
The moment Fan Changyu lay down inside, Xie Zheng activated the mechanism and stepped in after her.
The cramped space, no larger than a coffin, became unbearably tight with the addition of another person.
Fan Changyu and Xie Zheng were practically neck-to-neck, shoulder-to-shoulder, their breaths audible in the confined space.
Thankfully, the compartment was pitch black, making it impossible to see each other’s faces. Otherwise, the awkwardness of lying face-to-face like this would have been unbearable.
Fan Changyu caught the faint scent of soap on Xie Zheng’s robes, mixed with a wintry chill, likely due to the bitter cold of deep winter. He didn’t dare rest his full weight on her, propping himself up slightly with one arm, but in such a confined space, even that posture was strenuous.
After a moment’s hesitation, Fan Changyu said, "Should I be on top?"
Even though it was too dark to see, Fan Changyu could sense Xie Zheng suddenly turning his head to look at her. In the absence of sight, instincts took over, and the feeling of being watched by a predator in the dark grew increasingly palpable. The hairs on her arms stood on end.
When Xie Zheng gripped her waist, her entire body tensed.
After an arduous switch of positions, both of them were drenched in sweat. Fan Changyu blamed the stifling heat in the cramped compartment—it was enough to make anyone restless.
She strained her ears to listen for any movement outside, but her heartbeat, inconveniently loud, seemed to quicken. She wasn’t sure if it was due to nerves or something else.
The rhythmic pounding in her chest was so intense she wondered if Xie Zheng could hear it too.
But Xie Zheng’s chest seemed to harbor a drum of its own. Pressed against him, she could hear it clearly—slower than hers, but each beat was heavy, as if striking directly at someone’s heart.
Xie Zheng’s breathing remained steady, though the warmth of his exhales against her ear seemed to grow hotter.
Fan Changyu’s ears were sensitive, and she instinctively tried to pull away.
But the moment she shifted her head slightly, Xie Zheng pressed down firmly on her shoulder. His voice was calm, though lowered to a huskier whisper, "Don’t move."
At that very moment, a loud crash came from outside—the door had been kicked open violently.Fan Changyu immediately froze, lying atop Xie Zheng as she focused on listening to the commotion outside.
"Officers, this room is empty and hasn't been occupied by any guests!" The innkeeper who had been following them had been nervous earlier, but upon seeing no signs of anyone having stayed in the room, his eyes flickered, and he immediately began wailing pitifully.
The officer leading the search ignored him, allowing his subordinates to roughly open every chest and cabinet in the room. Even the bedding on the bed was pulled to the ground after they checked for residual warmth.
Watching as they continued to fiddle with the bottles and jars on the shelves, seemingly searching for hidden compartments or mechanisms, the innkeeper cried out, "Oh, officers, please be careful! These are Ge Kiln ceramics—if they break, this humble one won't be able to explain it to the owner..."
The officer still showed no intention of restraining his men. He sat heavily on a stool and lifted the lid of the teapot on the table.
Fan Changyu, pressed against Xie Zheng, relaxed slightly when she heard the footsteps of the soldiers searching near the bed fade away. But then, a loud crash of shattered porcelain came from outside, followed by a soldier's sharp shout: "How dare you!"
Her heart leaped again, her fingers unconsciously tightening on Xie Zheng's collar.
Xie Zheng seemed to sense her tension. The hand gripping her shoulder shifted to press against the back of her neck, pulling her closer to him. His scorching fingers against her delicate skin, though not venturing further, burned so intensely that Fan Changyu instinctively shrank her neck.
The tip of her nose lightly brushed against the skin of Xie Zheng's neck, and his breathing suddenly grew heavier.
Fan Changyu could feel heat radiating from his body. Her hand rested on his chest, and even through the thin fabric of his arrow-sleeved long robe, she could sense the dampness of sweat beneath.
Why was he still sweating?
Was it because the space was too cramped, or because they were pressed so close together that it was too hot?
Thinking to discreetly move away to give him more breathing room, Fan Changyu found Xie Zheng's hand on the back of her neck immovable as a branding iron, even tightening slightly.
Outside, the innkeeper's voice trembled with fear: "Officer, what's the matter?"
Fan Changyu stopped trying to move and focused on listening.
The officer slammed his massive palm onto the round table with a loud thud. "We're out here in the dead of night searching for criminals, and all I want is a sip of hot tea! Not only is this damn teapot filled with cold tea, but it's completely tasteless! How dare you treat us with such disrespect?"
The innkeeper immediately understood the officer's implied meaning. Soldiers from the Five Cities Patrol Command often used excuses to extort merchants. Even if this late-night search turned up nothing in ordinary households, places like inns and taverns—where all sorts of people gathered—were expected to offer some "tribute" to the officers, whether or not they found anything.
Though his face still wore an expression of terror, the innkeeper's eyes had already calmed. He immediately cursed, "That lazy waiter must be slacking off again! How dare he leave cold tea in the room?" Then, bowing obsequiously to the officer, he said, "Officer, please don't be angry! This humble one will have someone brew the finest tea in the house for you right away."
As he groveled, he discreetly slipped a small pouch into the officer's hand.The petty officer weighed the pouch in his hand, and only then did the anger on his face dissipate somewhat. "Fine," he said. "This official has urgent search duties to attend to and no time to drink your tea!"
With that, he stood and left, followed by the soldiers who had rummaged through the room but found nothing.
The innkeeper’s gaze flickered toward the bed as he bowed and closed the door behind them, then escorted the officer out with a stream of flattering words.
Inside the room, Fan Changyu listened to the fading footsteps of the soldiers and let out a long sigh of relief. A fine sheen of sweat had formed on her temples, whether from the stifling heat or the tension.
"They’re gone," she whispered to Xie Zheng.
There was no response from below.
Puzzled, Changyu reached out to feel along the stone wall for the hidden compartment’s release mechanism, but the hand at the back of her neck suddenly tightened with brutal force. The sheer ruthlessness in that grip sent an inexplicable surge of fear through her.
In the cramped space, struggling was impossible. She was forced to lower her head as lips seized hers in a savage kiss—one that felt as if it wanted to devour her whole. Her teeth were swiftly pried apart, and a tongue invaded ruthlessly.
Xie Zheng was like a starving wolf that had endured an entire harsh winter, then stared at a piece of meat for three days without taking a bite. The moment his restraint shattered, the hunger buried deep in his bones surged forth, baring fangs to tear into his prey.
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