Autumn winds swept through ten miles, filling the garden with competing floral scents. Geese soared over a sheet of jade water, their reflections blurred along with two indistinct figures by the banks.
Ye Luan felt a stab of pain and cursed, "Can't you be gentler?"
"Bittersweet, understand?"
"-----"
Bastard.
Ye Luan found the wound on his body that had been pierced by a blade and pressed down hard, getting her hands covered in blood.
When Blood Blade arrived with medicine, he heard screams of pain mingling with a woman's angry scolding emanating from the bathhouse.
His face flushed, he stood behind the stone lion by the door, waiting patiently.
This was Xiao Chi Zhan's temporary palace, with maids and governesses attending everywhere. The woman's angry scolding from the imperial bath reached almost the entire Li Palace.
Everyone was stunned.
The target of the scolding was none other than the Duke of Dingbei, renowned for his ruthlessness.
Who dared to curse the King like a madwoman in the middle of the night?
Rumors flew everywhere in an instant.
Li Qiong Yu, residing in a nearby palace, overheard the maids' hushed whispers. Driven by curiosity, he came to investigate, only to hear the voices from within.
He burst into laughter, "Blood Blade, isn't that Ye Luan inside? Ah, hahaha--"
He'd been had.
This madman was definitely caught.
He had never seen Xiao Chi Zhan sleep with a woman before.
Curious.
So very curious.
Seeing Li Qiong Yu rub his hands together with a lewd expression, Blood Blade's face turned cold. "Young Master Li, you don't want the Duke to kill you, do you?"
That madman was definitely capable of it.
Li Qiong Yu touched his neck, shook his head with a fearful expression, and left.
The next morning, he came looking for someone but couldn't find them anywhere.
"Qiong Yu, where is Chi Zhan?" Liu Rong Ruo, dressed in a green robe and holding a fan, walked slowly through the arched gateway, looking refined and elegant.
"Who knows? Are we eating or not?"
After speaking, Li Qiong Yu seemed to realize something. "Holy hell, he's not still soaking in the bath, is he?"
He immediately grabbed Liu Rong Ruo's hand and ran.
"Let's go, let's go watch the show."
"Ah, you're in such a hurry, slow down."
Upon arriving at the hot spring, Blood Blade was no longer there.
He barged straight in and looked at the mess in the imperial bath, smiling wickedly as he stroked his chin. This guy was quite vigorous in bed.
Liu Rong Ruo playfully hit him on the head with his fan. "What are you thinking about, with that lecherous look?"
"Let's go, let's go to the Li Palace."
A person who had abstained for over twenty years, once indulging, was incredibly exciting.
Li Qiong Yu hid beneath the window of a palace corridor, listening to the sounds coming from the hall with a mischievous grin.
Liu Rong Ruo, displeased with his petty behavior, lay on a crabapple tree in the palace garden and said lazily.
"If Chi Zhan finds out you're eavesdropping on his private affairs, you'll get a good thrashing."
"Tch, he's too engrossed in women right now to notice."
Liu Rong Ruo's posture was languid, his tone casual. "Is it Ye Luan inside?"
"Yeah, I don't know what whim possessed Xiao Chi Zhan to be with Ye Luan."
As the two chatted, Blood Blade entered with a food box. Seeing the two eavesdropping, he pursed his lips.
"He's not planning on coming out?"
Blood Blade pushed aside the gossiping Li Qiong Yu, carrying the food box, and knocked on the door.
A moment later, the activity inside ceased, and Xiao Chi Zhan, clad in a white robe, opened the door.
His alluringly handsome face bore a look of satiation.
He frowned slightly upon seeing the two.
"Holy crap, that was intense, Xiao Chi Zhan! How hard did you use your claws to leave those marks?" Li Qiong Yu ambiguously reached out to touch Xiao Chi Zhan's exposed chest.
Xiao Chi Zhan sidestepped him directly and kicked him away.
Disgusting.
Saying this, he ignored the others, cursed at them to get lost, and went back inside with the food box, closing the door.
"Heartless man!"
Liu Rong Ruo glanced at the tightly shut door and said lazily, "Let's go. It seems he won't be coming out today."
For three whole days, they didn't see hide nor hair of Xiao Chi Zhan.
Tan Tai Ye listened in shock to what the servant conveyed.
"Has this guy forgotten about all of us? Is he still not going hunting?"
Li Qiong Yu walked in from outside the hall with a lecherous smile. Seeing the delicious food inside, he grabbed a venison leg and started eating.
"In a couple of days, the Crown Prince is bringing people to hunt. So many young masters and ladies, it's so annoying."
"Hehe, let's go have some fun first."
Everyone went hunting.
The criticized Xiao Chi Zhan was still in the hall. Looking at the woman sleeping soundly beside him, he lazily sat up and leaned against the bed, lost in thought.
Ye Luan was very sleepy. Hearing the sound of someone leaving, she didn't bother to respond and continued sleeping.
When she drowsily woke up again, she felt a tickle in her throat and her body was burning hot.
The person by her side was no longer there.
Ye Luan opened her eyes heavily. The moment she stepped off the bed, she stumbled to the ground. The pain made her grimace for a while before she managed to stand up.
She walked to the bronze mirror and paused, looking at the even more bewitching beauty in the reflection, like a lotus in full bloom.
But one glance at the marks on her body made her gnash her teeth in hatred, hating Xiao Chi Zhan enough to kill him.
Brutal, ravaging, not gentle at all.
Damn madman.
When Xiao Chi Zhan entered with the medicine, he saw her standing by the bronze mirror cursing him.
His sinister gaze flickered.
With a clang, Ye Luan turned her head. Seeing the man walking towards her coldly, she stopped speaking.
He was already dressed, in a white robe and jade crown, his appearance stunningly beautiful. Compared to her disheveled state, it was like comparing heaven and earth.
Ye Luan could clearly see the storm brewing in his eyes. Without a word, she picked up the man's robe from the rack and put it on.
The numbness and pain between her legs made it difficult for her to stand steady. She lay back down on the couch.
"Drink the medicine. You caught a chill."
It was all his fault.
Ye Luan coldly took the medicine and gulped it down in one go.
She wasn't afraid he would poison her; he wouldn't kill her yet.
"Get me some clothes."
Her clothes were all torn, and she had nothing to wear, forcing her to wear his robe, which she didn't want to do.
Xiao Chi Zhan sat on the edge of the bed, his red eyes narrowing, looking at her with rebellious defiance. "Is that how you ask for something?"
"My clothes were torn by Your Highness. Shouldn't Your Highness compensate me with some?"
He chuckled lightly. "Your attire back then also seemed to be from the Prince's Estate."
Ye Luan clutched the robe tightly, covering all the marks.
"I'm hungry. If Your Highness doesn't give me clothes, you won't stop me from eating, will you?"
He looked at her a few times, then suddenly spoke with a wicked smile. "Indeed, you must eat your fill."
Ye Luan had no mood to pay attention to him. When the food arrived, she began to eat heartily.
She was truly hungry and exhausted.
Seeing him leave again, she didn't dwell on it and ate with even more gusto.
After finishing her meal, she lay on the soft couch by the window, hugging the robe around her, quietly gazing at the crabapple tree outside.
When Xiao Chi Zhan entered with the medicine bowl, he found her enveloped in a cloud of melancholy, which inexplicably made him angry.
"Contraceptive soup."