Hu Xiaotian smiled faintly. Gazing at the seductive beauty before him, he could not help feeling his heart stir. Though he had frolicked among the flowers and seen every kind of beauty the world had to offer, there was only one woman as sultry and fiery as Xue Lingjun. For all her peach-blossom beauty, her scheming ran unfathomably deep; otherwise, Xue Shengkang would never have entrusted her with such important responsibilities. After his death, however, the Eldest Princess of Great Yong had lost much of her power. Faced with the new emperor Xue Daohong's suspicion and attempts to sideline her, she had been forced to sheathe her edge and protect herself through discretion. Compared with her standing when Xue Shengkang had ruled, her status had plummeted a thousand fathoms.
Rather than retreat before Hu Xiaotian, Xue Lingjun took a step toward him. Her alluring phoenix eyes fixed on him, her breath fragrant as orchids, her pretty face radiant with springtime desire. "What do you want?" she asked in a honeyed voice. "What exactly do you want to do to me?"
Hu Xiaotian knew perfectly well what sort of person he was facing. In their several encounters, when had Xue Lingjun ever treated him sincerely? This woman displayed a thousand charms on the surface, but her heart was solid as rock. Gaining control of that heart would be no easy task.
"Don't you know what I want?" Hu Xiaotian asked softly.
Xue Lingjun's pretty face flushed, making her all the more alluring. "You wicked man," she chided softly. "Aren't you afraid I'll scream?"
Hu Xiaotian chuckled. "When the two of us are together, I should be the one feeling threatened."
"Are you afraid I'll eat you?"
Hu Xiaotian nodded. "Women are tigers, and Sister Jun happens to be the fiercest kind