Qian Renxue's Gift: Sachet! Shadow Abyss Shark! Meticulously Crafted Gift!

Qian Renxue clutched her chest tightly, feeling her heart hammering wildly.

Lan watched her back, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

Hot?

In this lakeside forest, the evening breeze was gentle and cool; where could there be any heat?

He felt more and more that this Crown Prince was acting strangely.

"Since it wasn't because of the matter regarding Prince Xue Ye, then why did you say it was impossible just now?" Lan pressed.

He was referring to the three words Qian Renxue had blurted out by the lake earlier.

"I..."

Qian Renxue's body stiffened once more.

Why?

How should I know why!

It's all because of you...

She stammered for a long time, unable to form a complete sentence, her thoughts in a chaotic jumble.

In the end, she simply threw caution to the wind, turned around, and with a tone she herself felt was completely unreasonable, declared righteously.

"An, anyway... anyway, it just won't do!"

After saying this, she quickly turned her head back around.

The forest fell into silence once again.

Lan was completely baffled; he stood where he was, saying nothing more.

Qian Renxue remained silent as well. She could feel that calm gaze behind her, which made her feel incredibly uneasy. Her body even swayed slightly, unable to control her extreme nervousness.

No, I can't go on like this!

If I stay any longer, I will definitely reveal more flaws.

Qian Renxue took a deep breath, as if having made a decision, and reached into her robes, her hand brushing against a small, exquisite object.

She hadn't intended to give it to him so soon.

But now, it seemed she had no choice.

Qian Renxue spun around abruptly, and before Lan could react, she stepped forward and shoved the item into his hand.

It was a sachet embroidered with an ice-blue shark pattern, feeling warm and smooth to the touch.

"Th-this was embroidered for you by Xue Ke!"

Before the words had even faded, Qian Renxue turned and ran without looking back, moving as fast as an arrow released from a bow, vanishing into the shadows of the forest in the blink of an eye.

All that remained was the image of that face, red enough to burn, etched into Lan's mind.

Lan looked down at the sachet in his hand, which still held a trace of warmth and a faint, lingering scent.

He looked up again, toward the direction where the beauty had disappeared.

He was completely stunned.

What... was this supposed to mean?

The night breeze brushed past, leaving Lan alone in the woods.

He looked down at the sachet in his hand.

The fabric was made of high-quality Ice Silkworm Silk, cool to the touch, yet it still carried the warmth left behind by Qian Renxue's palm.

On it, embroidered with ice-blue thread, was a lifelike Shadow Abyss Shark—the true form of his martial soul.

The stitches were fine and dense, showing that the embroidery had been done with great care.

Beyond the faint scent of jasmine, there was another fragrance, extremely subtle yet persistent.

This scent...

Lan frowned slightly; it was the same scent that had been on the Crown Prince just moments ago.

A gift from Princess Xue Ke?

That excuse was far too perfunctory.

Even if it were a gesture from his sister, did the Crown Prince really need to deliver it personally? And why act so flustered and disoriented, as if she had done something shameful?

Giving a sachet...

Lan vaguely felt that something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

Shaking his head, he stopped dwelling on this inexplicable matter and turned to walk back to the lakeside.

"Lan, you're back!"

Ye Lengleng was the first to see him, and she let out a sigh of relief.

Dugu Yan also looked over, and seeing that Lan was alone, she couldn't help but ask:

"Where is His Highness the Crown Prince? How did he... run off?"

The way the Crown Prince had just fled in such a panic really didn't befit the stature of the Heaven Dou Empire's heir.

Lan glanced at her indifferently.

"It's nothing."

He couldn't be bothered to explain the twists and turns of the situation.

"Nothing?"

Dugu Yan choked on her words, her chest tightening with frustration at his dismissive attitude.

She curled her lip and huffed.

"Fine, don't tell me! As if I were so desperate to know anyway."

With that, she turned and walked away.

"Follow me, my grandfather should have everything ready by now."

Ye Lingling gave Lan a helpless smile before following after her.

Dugu Manor.

As the residence of a Titled Douluo, it was not luxurious; instead, it exuded a sense of quiet seclusion. The courtyard was filled with all sorts of exotic flowers and herbs, and the air was permeated with a faint medicinal fragrance.

Dugu Yan led Lan directly to her private chambers.

In the center of the room sat a massive wooden tub filled with steaming hot water. A thick layer of herbs and flower petals floated on the surface, the rising heat filling the entire room with a swirling mist.

Dugu Yan had already shed her outer garments, wearing only a thin undergarment. She was submerged in the tub, with only her delicate shoulders and flushed cheeks visible.

The vaporous steam made her skin look soft and pink, and her long, emerald-green hair hung wet over her shoulders, adding a touch of allure she didn't usually possess.

She gripped the edge of the tub tightly, her eyes darting away, not daring to look toward the doorway.

"You... you can come in."

Her voice was as thin as a mosquito's, trembling slightly.

Lan pushed the door open and entered with an expressionless face. His gaze swept across the room before settling on the young woman in the tub.

Dugu Yan felt incredibly uncomfortable under his calm stare. The heat on her face felt scorching, and she wished she could bury herself entirely beneath the water.

She bit her lower lip and forced herself to remain composed.

"I, I am ready."

Lan's gaze remained calm and rippleless, sweeping over Dugu Yan's cheeks—flushed crimson from both shyness and the steam—and her knuckles, which were white from gripping the edge of the tub.

The herbs and petals floating on the water's surface swayed gently with her slight tremors.

Amidst the swirling mist, the girl's emerald hair clung wetly to her smooth shoulders and back, and droplets of water slid down her graceful curves, disappearing into the fragrant, heated water.

She was, indeed, a beauty.

However, that was not where Lan's focus lay.

He calculated the time; from the moment Dugu Yan entered the water until now, the medicinal properties should have fully dissolved, and the pores of her entire body should be completely open from the steam.

It was the perfect moment.

Lan walked to the side of the tub, extended his right hand, and spread his fingers, hovering them over the water.

Soul power surged silently from his palm like invisible threads, instantly permeating the entire tub of hot water.

Following that, he unleashed the innate ability of his martial soul.

Devour.

Threads of soul power, carrying the properties of Devour, began to cautiously and meticulously seep into Dugu Yan's body, bit by bit.

The girl's body stiffened abruptly.

"Relax."

Lan's voice was faint, yet it carried a sense of stability.

Dugu Yan's tense body subconsciously relaxed a fraction.

His Devouring power was incredibly domineering; if left uncontrolled, it would not only consume soul power but could drain away her very life force as well.

Therefore, he had to be fully focused, as if he were dismantling the most precise instrument in the world, stripping away only the Jade Phosphorous Serpent venom that had taken root deep within her meridians, blood, and even her bone marrow.

This was no small burden on his mental energy.

Initially, Dugu Yan had been filled with shame and nervousness at being so "invaded" by a man, her cheeks red enough to bleed.

But soon, she could no longer spare a thought for such things.

As those cold, viscous toxins—which had clung to her like maggots to bone—were slowly drawn out by a gentle yet irresistible force, an unprecedented sense of comfort spread through her entire body.

It was the relief of having a thousand-pound burden lifted from her shoulders.

It was the exhilaration of sweet rain after a long drought.

It was the clarity of parting clouds to reveal the sun.

"Mmm..."

A stifled moan escaped from her slightly parted lips.

The sound was not loud, yet it was exceptionally clear in the quiet room.