In the blink of an eye, night had deepened.
Candlelight flickered within the Sleeping Palace, casting a warm, cozy glow throughout the room.
Chu Shengsheng lay on her side on the couch, allowing the maid to wipe her body with a warm cloth towel.
The Imperial Physician had visited earlier today, saying her wound was healing well but she still shouldn’t bathe with water, so she could only be cleaned carefully like this.
The water temperature was just right, and the touch was gentle. She closed her eyes, almost drifting off comfortably to sleep.
But before long, the touch of the wiping suddenly changed.
Originally, the maid’s movements were meticulous and steady, but they were replaced by a slower, more… indescribable sensation.
Fingertips seemed to inadvertently brush over certain places, stirring a faint tingling sensation.
She fluttered her eyelids and asked vaguely, “What’s wrong? The touch… feels a bit different?”
No one responded.
There was only the faint sound of the cloth dipping into the water basin and being wrung out, and that touch whose presence suddenly intensified.
“Lü Rui, has the water cooled? Why aren’t you saying anything?”
She asked again, a bit puzzled.
In response came an extremely low, magnetic chuckle, especially clear in the quiet hall.
That familiar voice made her heart skip a beat. She abruptly opened her eyes and turned her head, meeting a pair of smiling, profound eyes.
Pei Zhen was leaning over, looking at her, still holding the damp cloth towel in his hand, while the maid who had been attending to her earlier had long since disappeared.
“Ah!” she gasped softly, her cheeks instantly flushing crimson. Instinctively, she grabbed a clean cloth towel nearby, flusteredly covering her chest, both embarrassed and annoyed. “Your Highness! You… how did you get here? Where’s Lü Rui? This… this is so embarrassing…”
Seeing her so flustered and shy, the man’s eyes filled with even more amusement, almost overflowing.
Not only did he not retreat, he leaned in closer, his gaze lingering on her skin flushed with shyness. His voice was lowered, carrying undisguised teasing. “What? I can’t come? It’s not like I haven’t seen… and what’s more, we’ve…”
Here, he deliberately paused, his gaze sweeping over her body suggestively before continuing, “…had such profound exchanges. Why are you getting shy now?”
As he spoke, he reached out to take the cloth towel she was clutching tightly to her chest.
Chu Shengsheng hurriedly held onto the edge of the towel for dear life, her face reddening as if about to bleed. Her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s hum. “N-no, that’s not good… before… before, wasn’t it always with the candles blown out… now… now the candles are so bright…”
Damn it, she wasn’t pretending this time; she was genuinely shy.
After all, the previous few times had been done in the dark. But now, being stared at like this by a man—and a man who had feelings for her—she was truly shy and somewhat embarrassed.
Pei Zhen saw that her ears and neck were flushed red, and she kept her head lowered, not daring to look at him. This coy, shy demeanor, seemingly resisting yet welcoming, stirred his heart more than any deliberate seduction ever could.
His playful intent grew even stronger, thinking she was engaging in some kind of bedroom game with him. So, he obligingly released his hand from the towel and instead picked up another clean, damp cloth, dipping it in the warm water and wringing it until it was half-dry.
“Alright, I won’t take it,” he said in a doting tone, taking one of her hands and wiping it with extreme care and patience, from her fingertips to the spaces between her fingers, then to her wrist and arm. His movements were gentle and focused, as if handling some rare treasure.
“However, such intimate tasks should be left to me from now on.” He spoke slowly as he wiped, his tone calm yet thick with possessiveness. “Your body is for my eyes and my touch alone. No one else, not even a maid, is permitted.”
The words were saturated with an undeniable desire for control, yet when Chu Shengsheng heard them, she felt not offended but rather deeply in agreement.
It made sense—she was unaccustomed to being attended to, especially by unfamiliar maids. Since she and this man had already been intimate several times, and he was willing to take care of her personally, it suited her perfectly.
Seeing her obedient agreement, Pei Zhen’s expression grew even more satisfied.
He continued his movements, unhurried and meticulous—from her fingers to the back of her hand, then her wrist and forearm, every inch of skin tended to by the warm cloth with just the right pressure.
Chu Shengsheng was initially tense, but as she realized he was truly only wiping her down, she gradually relaxed her guard. She even began to find his attentions rather enjoyable.
In the candlelight, the man’s lowered brows and eyes appeared exceptionally handsome, his focused expression lending him a gentleness unlike his usual imposing demeanor.
However, this relaxation did not last long.
As the damp cloth gradually expanded its reach, moving toward her shoulders, neck, and collarbone, Chu Shengsheng keenly sensed something amiss.
The previously steady wiping suddenly shifted in rhythm—now light, now heavy, sometimes gliding gently, other times pressing and kneading.
Her skin gradually flushed with a rosy hue, and her breathing grew slightly rapid without her realizing it.
“Your Highness…” She couldn’t help shifting slightly, her voice softening. “Perhaps… let’s stop here. It’s clean enough…”
Pei Zhen, however, acted as if he hadn’t heard. He merely glanced up at her, his eyes appearing especially deep in the candlelight.
“Your hands and back are done,” he said, dipping the cloth back into the warm water and wringing it out. His voice was even warmer than the water on the cloth as his gaze slowly drifted downward, settling on the area concealed by the towel. “Now it’s time for the rest.”
“Wait—”
Before Chu Shengsheng could finish, he had already pressed one hand gently against her shoulder while the other, holding the warm cloth, skillfully and unyieldingly avoided her wound and covered (use your imagination).
“E…”
The warmth of the dampness spread, accompanied by the man’s hand—details censored, please imagine, dear readers.
Her skin instantly flushed a deep red, like the furious face of a reader unable to see past the censored content.
Pei Zhen’s eyes darkened like the night, his Adam’s apple bobbing, yet his movements maintained that same deliberate, unhurried attentiveness—still censored, please imagine, dear readers.
“Sheng Sheng,” he asked, his voice hoarse, “does this feel… comfortable?”
Tormented by his blatant actions, Chu Shengsheng felt both embarrassed and annoyed. The sensations coursing through her body made her grit her teeth, turn her burning face away, and refuse to answer.
Goodness, this man was too much!
Seeing her like this, a flicker of amusement passed through the man’s eyes, and the previously gentle pressure of his hand suddenly—please imagine, dear readers.
She gasped in surprise, unable to hold back any longer. Her face flushed crimson as she glared at him with tear-filled eyes, squeezing out two words through clenched teeth: “Dear readers.”
“Good girl.” Only then did Pei Zhen chuckle lowly in satisfaction, rewarding the dear readers.
Wherever the handkerchief passed, it ignited clusters of furious reader babies.