Song Qingchao had sent Su Yingying away early.
She no longer had the interest to torment Su Yingying.
Despite her vengeful nature, she found such petty squabbles over a man utterly uninteresting.
Picking up a pair of scissors, she snipped the wick of the candle, plunging the tent into darkness.
She fumbled her way towards the bed, guided by memory.
Lying on the bed, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
Finally, she sat up, intending to relight the candle.
Usually, Bai You'an would have arrived by now. Today, he was still absent, and she doubted he would come anymore.
However, as soon as she got out of bed, she faintly heard rustling sounds outside the tent.
Song Qingchao cautiously approached the entrance. The moment the tent flap was lifted, the dagger in her hand flew out.
"It's me."
The familiar voice made Song Qingchao instantly retract her force.
At the same time, Bai You'an grabbed her wrist.
"Why are you so late today?"
"I encountered some trouble on the way."
Bai You'an's fingers slid down the inside of Song Qingchao's wrist, then he gently took the dagger from her and tossed it onto a nearby table.
"Was everything resolved?"
"Resolved."
Bai You'an naturally took Song Qingchao's hand and led her towards the bed, saying, "Wait for me."
Song Qingchao squeezed his hand and uttered a soft "Mm," then sat obediently on the bed, waiting for Bai You'an.
The sound of flowing water reached her ears.
For some reason, the sound was incredibly soporific. She felt herself growing drowsy.
Her eyes closed, and she was about to lean back.
"Hey!"
Her body was embraced and gently pushed back. Her lower back and the nape of her neck were held firmly.
Song Qingchao allowed herself to fall back onto the bed.
Warm breath brushed against the most sensitive part behind her ear.
She couldn't help but let out a soft moan, which elicited a faint chuckle from the person leaning over her.
"What are you doing?" Song Qingchao awkwardly averted Bai You'an's gaze.
But Bai You'an gave her no quarter. He hooked her chin, drawing her closer, and then claimed the softness he had longed for.
"Bai! Mm..."
The softness that entered her mouth, conquering inch by inch, engaging in a game of chase and retreat, powerfully drawing her into a shared descent.
Her gradually disordered breathing and rising body temperature made Song Qingchao feel utterly dazed.
Her hand lightly patted Bai You'an's back, signaling that she was struggling to breathe.
Only then did the man release her lips.
Song Qingchao turned her head, panting.
She was sure her face was now redder than a lantern.
She clutched Bai You'an's shoulder, thinking the brief intimacy was over.
But the sudden wetness on her earlobe made her jump. Her voice began to tremble, but she dared not speak too loudly, fearing it would attract unwanted attention.
"Stop fooling around. Let's talk business."
"Business?" Bai You'an's voice was also muffled. "I'm handling it."
As soon as he spoke, Song Qingchao felt a large hand reach her lower back.
Then her waist was lifted upwards. Her mouth, which had opened in surprise, was once again filled with Bai You'an's intoxicating scent.
"Chang Pinghe wants to entrust Nian Chen to Guangji Temple, but I think it would be better if he went with Xiang Yunling. What do you think?"
Song Qingchao was momentarily stunned by Bai You'an's question, but after a moment's thought, she found it agreeable. "Whatever you say."
"Lin Tingwan asked me to get you out, so..."
Bai You'an finally released Song Qingchao's lips.
Song Qingchao panted, her eyes reddened as she looked at Bai You'an's sly, smiling eyes. "So what?"
"So when is my Miss Song planning to leave this place?"
His long, warm fingertips caressed Song Qingchao's face.
Song Qingchao instinctively nuzzled into them like a contented kitten. "In a few more days, it should be soon."
Bai You'an finally let go of her.
She turned over and burrowed into the covers. "What, are you in a hurry?"
"Yes, I am."
Bai You'an fumbled and leaned to the side. "I'm in a hurry to marry Miss Song."
His fingers toyed with Song Qingchao's hair, winding it around and around, as if afraid she would disappear if he let go.
Song Qingchao's mind went completely blank.
She was only doing this to accumulate time and, incidentally, to "date." Although they had been intimate these past few days, it didn't necessarily mean anything.
The Great Yuan nation had an open-minded culture, and there weren't many peculiar "rules."
"I can't just be like this, without a name or status," Bai You'an's tone became somewhat aggrieved. "You were the one who said you wanted me, so why are you scared now?"
Song Qingchao felt utterly bewildered.
It was true that she had pursued him...
But was she scared?
How could she be scared?
But...
"As the ancients say, establish a family before pursuing a career. I think we could strive for a few more years..."
Bai You'an's fingers, which had been playing with her hair, stopped. "What? You don't want to take responsibility?"
"That's not what I meant!" Song Qingchao quickly explained. "I mean, my current identity isn't suitable."
"It's alright. I'll make it suitable."
Song Qingchao: "..."
She didn't know what to say.
But considering the accumulated time in her space and the fact that Bai You'an was undeniably good-looking,
She wasn't entirely unwilling to compromise for beauty.
Lost in thought, Song Qingchao drifted off to sleep.
She had already been sleepy, and after all that exertion, she slept even more soundly.
When morning came.
Opening her eyes, it was already noon. Song Qingchao had grown accustomed to it.
She stretched lazily and felt something poking her lower back.
Frowning, she pulled the object out.
It was a book with a blank cover.
She held the book up and flipped through it casually.
She didn't realize what she had stumbled upon until she started flipping through it...
What were these heart-pounding scenes?
This thing definitely wasn't hers.
She vaguely recalled something falling out of Bai You'an's clothes last night.
She had tried to pick it up, but Bai You'an had caught her hand and held it above her head.
So he...
Song Qingchao's face flushed. So that's what he was rushing for...
But what did he mean by leaving this book behind?
Was it a suggestion for her to study it first?
Song Qingchao felt like she was going crazy.
She closed the book, placed it on her chest, and tried hard to calm herself down.
However, before the flush on her cheeks could subside,
Feng Shaocheng's voice echoed from outside the tent.
"Chaochao, are you awake?"
Song Qingchao: "..."
She frantically stowed the book into her space, then touched her burning face...
She was tired. She was really tired!