I Knew You Were Up to No Good!

Tap, tap, tap...

Ye Jingtang ran through the curtain of rain with Luo Ning on his back, the coldly beautiful heroine's furious complaints trailing him all the way:

"Put me down! Keep this up, and I'll hit you..."

Luo Ning had insistently demanded it for ages, but Ye Jingtang refused to listen. She could hardly actually hit him. Before her protests were over, they had reached the inn, and he leaped through the window with her on his back.

Once he set her on the bed and leaned closer, Luo Ning's expression turned tense and stern. She shrank back across the bedding and said coldly:

"You... you little thief! Don't take advantage of me while I'm helpless! I'm injured!"

Her mortified, furious rebuke made Niao Niao, who had just followed them inside, recoil and tuck in his neck.

After putting Luo Ning down, Ye Jingtang was about to pull open her collar. At her words, he raised his eyes:

"I'm checking your injury! Not taking advantage of you! You can't shy away from a doctor when you're ill!"

Pah!

Having suffered at his hands so many times, Luo Ning already knew Ye Jingtang was the sort to seize any opening to climb right on top of her. How could she believe a line meant to fool little girls?

"Do I not have hands of my own? It's not as if I'm dying... turn around!"

Seeing her reaction, Ye Jingtang stood, lowered the bed curtains, and turned away:

"This is a matter of life and death. Don't try to act tough."

"When have I acted tough? I told you to go back to Twin Osmanthus Alley, but you wouldn't listen..."

With the curtains lowered, Luo Ning secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Still complaining about Ye Jingtang, she undid her soaked sash and pulled open her coarse cloth dress, revealing the dudou beneath, embroidered with a full moon over empty mountains, and her fair, unblemished neck.

Her skin had been as white as soft jade, but where the poisoned needle had pierced her shoulder, there was now a dark bruise, like a blot of ink staining white paper. It did not seem serious, yet against her flawless body, it was rather alarming.

Luo Ning's delicate brows drew together. She had sealed off the flow of blood and qi, intending to return home and have Yunli help draw out the poisoned blood.

Instead, this little thief had taken matters into his own hands and brought her to the inn. How was she supposed to draw out the poison alone?

Luo Ning bent her head to try, but there was no way she could bite her own shoulder...

She looked around, but there was nothing on the bed she could use.

Luo Ning secretly gritted her teeth, wishing she could give Ye Jingtang a beating. After some thought, she could only say softly:

"Little thief, bring me a cup."

"Hm?"

Waiting outside the curtains, Ye Jingtang was puzzled. After a moment's thought, he picked up a teacup and reached inside, without taking the opportunity to peek.

Luo Ning took the cup and held it against her shoulder to gauge the fit. But her lovely shoulder was not flat enough, and the cup was too large. Using it for cupping was impractical. After thinking again, she said:

"You... go cut me a piece of bamboo. A thin one."

?

Ye Jingtang was baffled. "Where am I supposed to find a bamboo grove around here? What exactly are you trying to do?"

"Fire cupping. Stop asking so many questions."

"..."

Ye Jingtang was hardly an idiot. After a little thought, he understood Luo Ning's predicament, turned around, and pulled the curtains straight open.

Whoosh-

"Ah!"

With the man suddenly appearing before her, the half-undressed Luo Ning was caught off guard. She shuddered in alarm and hurriedly pulled up her clothes, her mature, beautiful face filled with anger:

"You little thief... what are you doing?"

Ye Jingtang stepped closer, caught Luo Ning's right wrist, and forcibly pulled it aside. Her loosely gathered collar fell open as well, immediately revealing the pale blue full moon over empty mountains.

Luo Ning had known this would happen. She stared at Ye Jingtang in shame and fury, wanting to cover herself, but her left hand could exert no strength with her blood and qi sealed off, and her right hand was restrained. Even reaching for her flexible sword was a vain hope.

Pinned against the pillow by Ye Jingtang, she sensed the man examining her completely exposed chest. Sorrow and shame welled up from her heart, and two trails of tears spilled traitorously from the corners of her eyes:

"You shameless little thief. I knew this was what you were after. I knew all along you were up to no good..."

Her voice was full of inconsolable grievance, and she writhed and struggled on the bed.

Ye Jingtang could not concentrate at all. He said sternly:

"Could you stop squirming?"

?

Luo Ning no longer cared about her injury. She glared at him. "Let me go! You little thief, if you dare touch me...!"

"If you keep making trouble and really piss me off, I actually will stop playing by the rules."

"..."

Luo Ning stared at Ye Jingtang with reddened eyes. She was still mortified and furious, but she did not dare say another word.

Ye Jingtang lowered his head to examine the dark bruise on her shoulder and asked:

"Is this poison safe to get in your mouth?"

Luo Ning secretly gritted her teeth. Knowing what Ye Jingtang intended, she turned her head and closed her eyes, looking like a heroine in distress who was powerless to resist and could only endure humiliation.

"I asked you a question. Answer me."

"Why don't you try it yourself and find out?" Luo Ning said resentfully.

"It's poison. How am I supposed to dare try it if you won't tell me?"

Luo Ning bit her lower lip and kept her head turned, refusing to speak.

Helpless, Ye Jingtang thought for a moment, then could only lean down to the heroine's shoulder.

Suck, suck...

"Mmph..."

Luo Ning tilted her face up slightly, nearly biting through her lip. Her feet arched and rubbed restlessly against the bedding, and a few more tears rolled down.

"Pah-"

Ye Jingtang raised his head and spat a mouthful of black blood into the teacup he had just brought over, then continued.

Niao Niao stood watch at the window and could only see their shadows on the curtains. Not understanding what they were doing, he gave two puzzled chirps: "Chirp, chirp?"

To Luo Ning, every moment felt like a year. Indescribable embarrassment filled her heart. She opened her eyes and glanced at the lowered curtains, then looked toward the little thief busy over her body, checking whether his wandering gaze betrayed any improper intentions. Instead, she found Ye Jingtang's face somewhat contorted, as though he were in considerable pain.

Like most poisons, Sine-Piercing Powder only poisoned someone if it entered through broken skin and reached the blood. As long as there were no wounds in the mouth and it was not swallowed, it was harmless.

But seeing Ye Jingtang's expression twist with such pain, Luo Ning's heart still lurched. She thought he might have a cut inside his mouth and been poisoned.

Although Luo Ning was so mortified and furious that she wished she could cut the little thief down with a single stroke, a life was at stake. She still asked anxiously:

"Have you been poisoned?"

Ye Jingtang's brows and eyes had almost scrunched together. He spat out some bloody saliva and said indistinctly:

"So damn bitter..."

??

The worry in Luo Ning's heart vanished like smoke. She gave a heartless, cold snort:

"A grown man, afraid of a little bitterness... serves you right for harboring wicked intentions and taking every chance to bully a woman..."

Ye Jingtang frowned and immediately leaned forward toward Luo Ning's red lips:

"You're not afraid? Here, try it yourself..."

Alarm flashed in Luo Ning's eyes. She hurriedly covered Ye Jingtang's mouth and said fearfully:

"I know it's bitter... don't do anything reckless!"

Only then was Ye Jingtang satisfied...