The candle flame in the guest room flickered twice.
Qing Chen sat in the guest room with his eyes closed, resting his mind. His heart was as still as water as he circulated his internal force to burn off the alcohol.
Suddenly, an inexplicable tremor surged through his heart, and his whole body jolted.
His eyes snapped open, and he silently slipped out of the guest room like a phantom.
A little later, Qing Chen arrived before a door and gently pushed it, leaving no trace.
The door opened at his touch, and he walked inside. This was the bedroom of Li Muyun and his wife.
Qing Chen swept his gaze over both sides of the bed, confirming that there were no hidden sentries or mechanisms before gliding to the foot of the bed in a flash.
Looking at the deeply sleeping Li Muyun, he curled his fingers, gathering a thread of internal force at their tips, and struck the Shentang acupoint on Li Muyun's back and the Zhangmen acupoint at his waist as swiftly as lightning.
Sealing these two acupoints would render a person immobile without interrupting their breathing. Anyone looking would merely think they were sleeping soundly.
Sure enough, Li Muyun's snoring paused briefly, then steadied again, his body limp as a puddle of mud.
Qing Chen reached out and carefully lifted Li Muyun from the bed, slipping his arms beneath his armpits. Keeping his footsteps extremely light, he moved him step by step into the side room to the west of the bedroom.
Some miscellaneous items were piled in the side room, along with an old couch. He laid Li Muyun on it.
Only after doing all this did Qing Chen slowly turn around, his gaze settling before the dressing table in the middle of the bedroom.
Zhao Ningyi had changed out of the magnificent clothes she had worn at noon and put on the red dress she had worn the night she saw Qing Chen off, looking all the more lovely and alluring.
"You..."
Zhao Ningyi's voice trembled, and her lips moved as though she had a thousand things to ask, but when the words reached her lips, she could squeeze out only one.
She wanted to speak, yet feared waking Li Muyun in the side room;
she wanted to retreat, but the dressing table stood behind her, leaving her nowhere to go. She could only watch helplessly as Qing Chen approached her step by step.
Seeing her frightened, startled expression, with its trace of anticipation, Qing Chen sighed inwardly.
He took a step forward, his fingers lightly brushing the hem of her dress.
As the saying went:
At the noon feast, their first encounter sent desire running wild; the lovely lady was startled to see her former lover.
Her eyes held quiet resentment and concealed deep longing; her words bore barbed mockery and hid old wounds.
Fine wine filled the cups, urging drunkenness on; the radiant red dress stirred lingering passion.
Her husband slept soundly in the quiet side room; her lover Qing slipped into a realm of silken dreams.
Fair hands gently tugged, loosening the silken sash; crimson lips parted slightly, jade-like skin fragrant.
Cloudlike tresses fell into disarray, passion beyond restraint; rosy cheeks flushed crimson, desire still unspent.
The bed curtains held warmth and rich fragrance, flower shadows tangled; the breeze was soft, the moon hidden, dreaming souls running wild.
Together they went to Mount Wu's meeting of clouds and rain, entwined in lingering tenderness through a night not yet ended.
The candlelight gradually weakened. Outside, moonlight filtered through the window paper, spilling a hazy silver glow across the floor.
More than half an hour later, Zhao Ningyi slowly opened her eyes.
Her whole body felt sore and weak, as though she had just been lifted out of warm water.
Qing Chen lay beside her, breathing evenly, his warm breath brushing her neck.
"You're awake?" Qing Chen asked softly as he lay beside Zhao Ningyi.
"Mm." Zhao Ningyi answered gently, her voice as faint as a mosquito's, yet carrying a trace of freshly awakened allure.
"Do you hate me?" Qing Chen asked.
"Yes. I hate you for deceiving me, for not coming to find me, and for coming to bully me again now." Zhao Ningyi turned her head away, what seemed to be tears glimmering in her eyes.
Qing Chen did not rush to comfort her. Instead, he slowly recounted a past no one knew:
"Ningyi, do you know? A little over half a year ago, I was just a displaced refugee with people blocking my door. If your father hadn't distributed porridge, I would have starved to death."
Zhao Ningyi was startled by his words, her eyes filled with astonishment:
"How could that be? You're an expert in the second-class realm, and an assistant military commander of the Subordinate Seventh Rank. How could you have ended up in such straits?"
"Because I don't believe in fate." Qing Chen's gaze grew resolute as he looked at Zhao Ningyi and said:
"I want to climb higher. I want a better life. Someone like me could give everything he has, survive nine chances of death for one chance of life, and still never reach even your starting point. More likely, I'd die halfway there.
"But you can have whatever you want. So I deceived you. Because I don't have the same confidence you do. I can't afford to lose, and I don't dare lose.
"If I lose my gamble, I'll go to the Yellow Springs. My second mother and my younger brothers and sisters will be driven out of the house to wander the streets, or even sold into brothels.
"You're the Commandery Princess of Ford City, a title bestowed by the ruler of the Jing Kingdom. That was a position I could once only gaze at, never reach."
Zhao Ningyi had never experienced the struggles and suffering Qing Chen spoke of.
She stared blankly at this young man, an inexplicable feeling welling up in her heart.
So he had weathered so many storms to reach where he was today.
"Then you... why did you... treat me like that today..."
Zhao Ningyi blushed, her voice carrying a trace of shyness.
Qing Chen's gaze rested on Zhao Ningyi's face, and he said softly, "Back then, I couldn't afford the gamble, so I didn't dare come looking for you.
"But today, since I ran into you, I wouldn't hide anymore. By the way, your red dress is beautiful."
Ripples stirred in Zhao Ningyi's heart, and she asked curiously, "Then... why did you come to my residence today?"
Qing Chen fell silent for a moment, as though weighing something, then said with apparent sincerity:
"Mm... I don't want to deceive you, either. I've been promoted so quickly because I give Li Muyun specially prepared Five-Stone Powder, women, men, and silver. That's why he's willing to help me."
Zhao Ningyi's expression changed drastically in shock. She looked toward Li Muyun in disbelief.
The guilt she had originally felt toward him vanished completely, replaced by waves of nausea and disgust.
"What? Him? He's been so indifferent to me all these years because he doesn't find me appealing?"
"Yes. That's why he's always had me search for Five-Stone Powder and handsome men and beautiful women for him." Qing Chen sighed, his voice full of helplessness.
"Then stay with me from now on, all right? Li Muyun comes from a gentry clan in Ford City. Give me some time, and we can stay together forever."
Zhao Ningyi looked at Qing Chen nervously.
Qing Chen said nothing, merely nodding gently.
She's taken the bait. All that effort and thought wasn't wasted.
Time flew by, and three months passed in the blink of an eye.
During those three months, Qing Chen met Zhao Ningyi only four or five times through a secret passage in the rear courtyard of the city lord's residence.
Each time they met, Zhao Ningyi was a little more forward than before.
In the secret passage, she would throw herself into his arms, bring him pastries she had made herself, and even pester him to stay a little longer.
She looked as though she feared he would never come again.
Qing Chen knew that only those who went hungry understood how good it felt to eat their fill.
Zhao Ningyi's dependence on Qing Chen grew by the day.
Without her noticing, that dependence seemed to have quietly transformed into deep affection.
She also grew increasingly bold.
Once, when Qing Chen had not come for a long time, she even left the city lord's residence regardless of everything, secretly going to Qing Chen's residence in the western city to seek traces of him.
That day, Qing Chen came to Zhao Ningyi's secret chamber again.
The chamber was small, with her usual incense burning. Zhao Ningyi sat beside him, peeling an orange for her.
Looking at her gentle profile, Qing Chen suddenly gave a soft sigh.
Zhao Ningyi asked with concern, "My love, why are you sighing?"
"Ningyi, do you know why I sneaked into the city lord's residence last time?"