Meanwhile, in Feng Tian, Ruo Wen had chased after her for a day, but to no avail. He now sat, grim-faced, in a room in the inner palace where a beauty had been held for only half a day. His anger was palpable, untouchable, and no one dared approach him. Grabbing the blanket that had once covered Huang Bei Shuang, he found no trace of warmth left on it. It was as if her playful grace from that night, like a fish in the water, had been nothing but a fleeting spring dream. Once again, it was like this. She was just a woman, not a puff of smoke—why was she so hard to capture? Even when held within his grasp, she somehow managed to slip away.
Outside, Mang Hu and the others stood by, not daring to enter. After a while, Ge Xin Wei and Ruo Lan Fei brought wine. They knocked on the door three times, and Ruo Wen’s cold voice came from within. “Who is it?”
“Chief! It’s us. Didn’t you ask for wine? We’ve brought it.”
“Come in!” Ruo Wen commanded.
The three women pushed open the door, and with a creak, it closed behind them.
“Do you think the chief will kill them?” Mang Hu muttered outside, staring blankly at the closed door, feeling as if the three women were going in but might not come back out.
“At times like this, I’m glad I’m not a woman!” Langtou sneered, dusting off his pants as he stood up. “Let’s go. Once the chief calms down, he’s bound to make a move again. Why bother worrying about them? It’s just food, drink, and sleep after all!”
“Oh, but isn’t Huang Bei Shuang different?” Mang Hu asked with some dissatisfaction.
Langtou glanced at his frustrated, round face and chuckled. “Wait until the chief truly has her in his grasp. Just talking about her makes me annoyed—she seems to exist just to ruin our fun!”
Hearing this, Mang Hu nodded in agreement. The two of them looked back at the tightly shut door for a moment before turning away.
* * *
In Tiandu, at Ice Thorn Palace, the night was deep, and the north wind howled.
Huang Bei Shuang awoke, her eyes not fully open yet, but her brows were already furrowed in pain. Her wounds still hurt quite a bit. Instinctively, she glanced around and saw Qing Yun sitting nearby, reading. The night was late—she wasn’t sure what time it was—but he sat at the table, the room brightly lit. He seemed completely absorbed in his book, unaware that she had awakened.
Huang Bei Shuang lay there, quietly watching him. He was truly handsome, with his long black hair draping over his shoulders, the ends slightly disheveled. His sharp eyebrows and starry eyes, though finely chiseled, couldn’t conceal the wildness in his expression. His tightly closed lips seemed ready to command the world at any moment. This was the kind of man who, in just a few days of interaction, had made her utterly indifferent to the prospect of facing death in battle.
“Have you seen enough?” Qing Yun’s gaze remained on the book, but a faint smile played at the corners of his mouth. He must have sensed her gaze long ago. Seeing that she was awake, he was genuinely pleased. “Do you have anything to say?”
Huang Bei Shuang sat up. “I’m very hungry.”
Qing Yun put down the book, clapped his hands, and immediately, palace maids entered with trays of food, as if they had been waiting.
Huang Bei Shuang looked at the fragrant dishes before her, and, unable to resist, swallowed hard and reached for the chopsticks, ready to dig in. But Qing Yun stopped her. He tasted several bites from each dish before putting down his chopsticks. “Eat.”
It was obvious this was a poison test. She hadn’t expected that even in his own palace, Qing Yun would still be so cautious.
“Go ahead! Aren’t you hungry?” Qing Yun smiled knowingly, aware of her thoughts.
“Will it always be like this?” Huang Bei Shuang asked as she ate.
“…” Qing Yun snorted softly. “Yes, it will always be like this.” With that, he walked over to the bed, lowered the curtains himself, and lay down. “I’ve stayed awake watching over you for a day and night. I should get some rest now. This is my bedchamber. From now on, you’ll live here.”
Huang Bei Shuang looked at the thick, dark green curtains and hesitated. “There’s only one bed...”
“You’ll sleep with me,” came Qing Yun’s curt response.
At this, Huang Bei Shuang’s face flushed red. She felt a little flustered, so she just lowered her head and continued eating.
After she finished, some time had passed. She wandered aimlessly around the room, looking at the moon and then at the patterns on the carpet. Finally feeling calmer, she took a deep breath and climbed into the bed. As soon as she did, Qing Yun opened his eyes. Startled, she froze, suddenly too nervous to get under the covers.
Qing Yun chuckled, lifting the blanket and pulling her into his arms. With their eyes closed, their warm breaths gradually intertwined.
“Now that I think about it, we don’t seem to have many memories together,” Huang Bei Shuang murmured softly, resting her head against his chest.
“What kind of memories do you want? How long do you want them to last? A day? Two days? A month? A year? Or a lifetime?” Qing Yun smiled. “From now on, you can have as many as you like.”
Huang Bei Shuang smiled too, replying, “You’ve never beaten around the bush with me. Just a few words, but always sincere.”
Hearing her heartfelt words, Qing Yun opened his eyes and looked down at the woman lying beside him, her eyes still closed, smiling like a child. Her lips, so close, were full and tempting. He slowly leaned in, and by the time she opened her eyes, he was already softly kissing the sweetness that had visited him in dreams time and again.
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