Li glanced at Shi Lan, who radiated a chilling aura. The girl had an exceptionally sleek, lustrous head of black hair. The strands that had been dampened when she washed her face still hung wetly over her forehead, softening the look of her delicate little face considerably.
Perhaps because she was from Mount Shu, she possessed a distinctive air that lent her brows and eyes an alluring charm.
In short, she was unquestionably a beauty.
Li sighed inwardly. Perhaps it was Shi Lan's beauty that had led Hu Hai to his mistaken assumption. It was just that Li could neither explain nor wished to explain it.
"Liuli, get her a set of Royal Guard clothes to change into." Li paused before lowering his voice. "Also, I don't want there to be any unpleasantness between the two of you. Since Hu Hai learned of my situation so quickly, there must be his people around me. So, there aren't many people I can trust now. From now on, only you and Shi Lan may enter my bedchamber."
"Fine." Liuli gave a gloomy curtsy, then said irritably to Shi Lan, "Come with me."
Watching the two of them leave, Li let out a long breath.
To be honest, he had not expected Shi Lan to accept his explanation so readily. After all, the coldness in the girl's eyes was obvious; she did not seem like the type to become romantically involved with anyone.
Still, there was no point dwelling on it. Since she was willing to play along with him for now, that was already for the best.
What mattered most now was improving his strength. The trip to Mohist Mechanism City was imminent.
The moon hung high in the middle of the sky.
Inside his bedchamber, Li repeatedly practiced the footwork of