Xie Jiang raised her arm and sniffed both sides, smiling broadly. "Your clothes smell nice."
Xu Hengyan replied, "You're just saying that because we're family."
Her collar was stained with blood; it certainly didn't smell pleasant.
Noticing her hair was still wet, Xu Hengyan said, "Sit down, and I'll dry your hair for you. It's soaked through, and you can't leave it wet."
The cabin contained only a simple wooden bed, a rickety-looking table, and two long benches covered in dents.
Some miscellaneous items were piled in a corner.
Xie Jiang sat by the table and began to untie her hair.
Xu Hengyan stood behind her, wrung out her wet clothes, and began to dry her hair diligently.
He wrung them out and wiped her hair several times.
However, Xu Hengyan felt it still wasn't dry enough. After all, her clothes were still damp, and she might catch a chill.
Xu Hengyan scanned the room but found nothing useful.
*Knock, knock, knock—*
Someone knocked on the door. "Young Master Xu."
Xu Hengyan frowned slightly. "Come in."
They had at least heeded his words and hadn't barged in directly.
A guard entered carrying a stick of incense, lit it in front of them, and stuck it into a crack in the wooden table.
Xie Jiang sniffed. "Soft Bone Incense?"
The guard looked at them. "If you don't wish to be bound, then we have no choice but to use this."
Xie Jiang waved at him. "We don't plan to escape anyway, so soft bones it is."
The guard seemed surprised. They were so agreeable and accepted so readily; he had expected to have to persuade them.
As the guard was about to leave, he heard Xu Hengyan speak, "Wait a moment."
The guard paused.
Xu Hengyan walked over, took the mask covering the guard's mouth and nose, and said, "May I borrow this?"
The guard was about to protest, saying they couldn't cheat, that the incense was meant to incapacitate them, so why would they use a mask? Besides, the cabin would soon be filled with the soporific smoke, making a mask useless.
However, he saw Xu Hengyan take his mask and use it to dry Xie Jiang's hair instead.
The guard: "..."
He had only come in to light some incense, and instead, he was forced to witness a display of affection.
Unwilling to sacrifice himself to illuminate their romance, the guard left quickly and shut the door with a bang.
From an angle she couldn't see, Xu Hengyan glared fiercely at her.
Look at the trouble she caused with her nonsensical talk! What did she take him for? His reputation in this life...
What reputation did he have left?
From now on, when people mentioned Xu Hengyan, they would look at him with the same strange, peculiar expressions as they did when mentioning Ruan Ziji and his gang.
Xie Jiang lowered her head and fumbled with something at her waist. She suddenly turned and covered his mouth and nose with her hand.
Xu Hengyan instinctively tried to dodge, but she grabbed his belt, preventing him from escaping.
However, Xu Hengyan soon understood what she was doing. A unique, cool scent emanated from her palm. After a moment, he felt his mind become clearer.
"Is this an antidote for the Soft Bone Incense?" Xu Hengyan asked with his eyes.
Xie Jiang nodded.
Xu Hengyan smiled.
He knew she would have a way.
She wasn't someone who would let others control her.
She certainly wouldn't hand her fate over to her enemies.
Figuring it was enough, she withdrew her hand and covered her own mouth and nose.
The incense had only burned halfway, but Xu Hengyan could clearly feel that it seemed to have no effect on them anymore.
Xu Hengyan wiped her hair very carefully, strand by strand. By the time the mask was soaked, her hair was almost dry.
Xie Jiang yawned. "Xu Hengyan, you're too slow. I'm almost falling asleep. But your technique is good, it feels quite comfortable."
Xu Hengyan also helped her tie up her hair.
Then, he moved the bench from the doorway and sat down facing her.
Seeing his posture, as if he were about to have a long talk with her, Xie Jiang immediately became flustered. She stifled her second yawn midway.
"Let's talk."
"Th-there's no need, is there? I, I feel so dizzy. This Soft Bone Incense is too potent. I want to sleep for a bit..."
"This is Soft Bone Incense. At most, your bones will feel a bit sore and weak, lacking strength. Why are you dizzy?"
Xu Hengyan didn't want the guards outside to overhear their conversation, so he dragged his bench closer to her. With a slight bend, they could be face to face.
"You made that solemn vow just now. You understood my plan, didn't you? I know you've always been very clever," Xu Hengyan said in a low voice.
Xie Jiang's tongue felt a bit tied. "Y-yes..."
Xu Hengyan continued, "Then you should know that my situation isn't particularly dangerous. Yet you took such a big risk... What are you doing!"
Before Xu Hengyan could finish his sentence, he shot up from his seat.
She, she was actually starting to unbutton her clothes without a word!
What did she want to do...
Xie Jiang grabbed Xu Hengyan's hand and pulled him back down. She found his body stiff as if he had been frozen.
"I know what you want to say. You want to say that there were so many arrows pointed at me, and I was almost shot into a hedgehog, right?"
"Isn't that the case? You can't just rely on your own skills... What is that?" Xu Hengyan stared at the golden silk armor beneath her outer robe.
"Do you want to stab me and see?" Xie Jiang patted her chest triumphantly.
Xu Hengyan understood now. She hadn't acted on impulse; she had already armed herself.
"But there are always unexpected circumstances!"
"You said I was clever. Would I really seek death? You should have a little faith in me."
Xu Hengyan glared at her, reached out to button her clothes, and whispered in her ear, "Don't let anyone see."
Although Lu Baohong hated her deeply, he didn't take her very seriously, so his guard wasn't particularly tight.
If she truly set off Lu Baohong's alarm bells, even if he threatened her with the Lu clan members again, Lu Baohong wouldn't make things so comfortable for her.
"I know, I'll just let you see. Stop nagging me," Xie Jiang said pitifully.
Xu Hengyan turned his head away, refusing to look at her. He knew that if he looked at her like that, he would easily soften his heart.
"The lives of the Lu clan members are in your hands. Lu Baohong will definitely be watching you very closely, and some things will be less convenient for you to do. Wouldn't it be easier if I lent you a hand!"
Xie Jiang climbed onto his back and manually turned his head so he would look at her.
"I'm here to help you. Where else will you find such a clever and capable little assistant like me? Don't be ungrateful."
She also casually pinched his handsome face. "Oh dear, you're exposed to the sun and wind every day. You're so young, but your skin is getting a bit rough..."
Xu Hengyan was so exasperated by her that he laughed. Then, realizing it was inappropriate, he quickly put on a stern face. She had made him unable to be angry or laugh. He slapped her hand away, asking what was wrong with being so handsy!
"You have a deep-seated hatred with the Lu clan, and Lu Baohong and his son hate you to the bone. Aren't you afraid they'll kill you?"
"Isn't that what you're here for? What am I afraid of? You would never let Lu Baohong touch a single hair on my head. Only you can touch my hair."