Divorce her?
At this thought, Xu Bao'er's mischievous side emerged.
I, on the contrary, will make you unable to bear parting with me.
Kneeling on the bed with her legs, Xu Bao'er closed her eyes slightly and gently kissed Zhou Jin's cheek.
Her eyelashes fluttered intensely, like startled butterflies. Her face, lively as an elf's, contrasted with the dignified elegance of her white brocade robe, resembling a sacrificial saintess.
Innocent and holy.
Zhou Jin's hands involuntarily clenched into fists, the veins on the back of his hands distinct, his eyes tightly shut, restraining himself with endurance.
Zhou Jin allowed Xu Bao'er to move her mischief from his face to his Adam's apple, his Adam's apple bobbing, his brows deeply furrowed.
"Wangye."
"My heart delights in you."
A timid voice, sweet and delicate like honey, making one willingly savor it.
A broad hand, a slender jade-like hand, slowly tracing circles.
A face both pure and seductive, simultaneously possessing a figure that made one's blood race.
"Whose person are you?"
The darkness in Zhou Jin's eyes deepened, his hand easily grasping Xu Bao'er's small, exquisite chin as he questioned in a deep voice.
"I am Wangye's person."
"My heart delights in Wangye."
As a gentle kiss landed, Zhou Jin completely lost control. It was unclear who pulled down the bed curtain, half-draping it over Xu Bao'er's slender waist.
Only Zhou Jin's repeated questioning of whose person Xu Bao'er was could be heard, while the response "I am Wangye's person" grew softer and softer.
"Who are you?"
"Tell me, who exactly are you?"
Zhou Jin leaned over Xu Bao'er from behind, his voice low and hoarse. He didn't want to call out that damned Zhang San at this moment—what a terrible name.
Even choosing a fake name wasn't done carefully.
"My name is Bao'er."
Bao'er? Something flashed through Zhou Jin's mind but he couldn't grasp it. He had no time to ponder, repeatedly calling "Bao'er" like a lover's whisper.
His low, mellow voice, lazy and lingering. Like a feather lightly brushing across Xu Bao'er's heart.
So beneath Zhou Jin's forceful plundering, he could also be this gentle.
At the break of dawn, Song Xingzhi hurried to the courtyard where the prince resided, worried that Zhang San's medicine might not be effective. He had already sent many people to find physicians knowledgeable about Western Frontier poisons.
He hoped nothing would happen to the prince.
"General Song, Wangye has given orders—no one is allowed to enter."
Before even stepping into the courtyard, Song Xingzhi was stopped by two guards at the entrance.
"This general is not just anyone. Others may not enter, but this general is an exception."
Zhou Jin had always indulged Song Xingzhi, often allowing his mischief.
"Truly not allowed. Wangye specifically instructed that even General Song cannot enter."
Ah? Could something be wrong?
Song Xingzhi grew anxious. What exactly had happened? The prince wouldn't even see him now—was this Zhang San effective?
His eyes darting around, Song Xingzhi left the courtyard and specifically detained several maids for questioning.
At the sight of Song Xingzhi's handsome, youthful face, the maids blushed shyly.
"Did anything happen in Wangye's courtyard last night? Did Young Master Zhang ask you to fetch any medicine?"
"Young General Song, we didn't see Young Master Zhang last night."
"But Wangye called for water multiple times very late."
Call for water? What for?
Song Xingzhi, an innocent youth, was utterly confused.
Could he have been taking a medicinal bath so late at night?
Alas, my poor prince must have been in such pain to need such a long medicinal bath.
"How was Wangye's mental state?"
"Quite… quite good, with a rosy complexion."
The maid's face flushed like a hibiscus in March, and recalling the scene she had witnessed last night, she wished she could shrink into a ball.
She had never seen a man more masculine than Duan Wang. Last night, he wore white underpants, with a simple robe of the same style draped over his upper body. His wheat-colored Adonis belt was glistening with droplets of sweat.
His dark, long hair cascaded loosely, exuding the domineering aura of a lion. His face was intensely aggressive, yet his eyes were piercingly cold. His long legs and muscular curves were faintly visible.
The maid, being no stranger to matters of intimacy, naturally understood what had transpired inside.
Last night, she had stolen a glance and caught sight of a fair, delicate jade-like foot peeking out from behind the curtain.
Just from that single foot, the maid could tell that the woman behind the curtain must be breathtakingly beautiful, capable of captivating hearts and stirring irresistible desire.
It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky that Song Xingzhi finally caught sight of his long-awaited Wangye. Just as the maid had said, Wangye appeared to be perfectly fine.
Zhang San, oh Zhang San, you truly are an extraordinary man, brimming with talent.
Not only can you devise strategies to capture mountain bandits, but you also know how to heal and save lives.
Judging by Wangye's rosy complexion and cheerful demeanor, it was clear that Zhang San must have toiled tirelessly through the night.
With this thought, Song Xingzhi decided to gift some of his privately treasured trinkets to Xu Bao'er.
"Wangye, has the poison been neutralized?"
"Hmm."
"A-San is quite impressive. Why don't we recruit him into our camp as an advisor?"
Song Xingzhi was quite fond of Zhang San, but since he lacked martial skills and couldn't ride a horse, bringing him along would be inconvenient.
"If we need to ride, I can take him with me, so Wangye won't have to trouble himself."
"No need."
Zhou Jin's tone gave nothing away, which only frustrated Song Xingzhi further.
"Aside from being somewhat frail and lacking martial and equestrian skills, A-San has no other flaws. He is exceptionally clever, brave, and resourceful—a talent with great potential."
Seeing Song Xingzhi praise Bao'er so lavishly, Zhou Jin felt a twinge of jealousy.
"This prince has already taken her in."
The naive Song Xingzhi had no idea what this "taking in" truly entailed, and he beamed with joy.
"Haha, then congratulations to Wangye for gaining yet another talented individual."
At that moment, the "talented individual" Song Xingzhi spoke of was lying on his Wangye's bed, her little feet kicking playfully in the air.
Her slender jade-like fingers twirled a strand of hair, winding it round and round.
Xu Bao'er thought to herself, Although Duan Wang appears cold and aloof to outsiders, toward me, he is stern on the surface but warm at heart.
It turns out that the way one behaves in intimate matters differs entirely depending on whether they love someone or not.
Though he was just as domineering and unrestrained, last night he showed tenderness and affection.
Last night, Zhou Jin had held her in his arms, kissing her forehead with reverence.
"Little liar, do not betray me."
Xu Bao'er didn't understand what Zhou Jin meant by "little liar." She assumed he found her suspicious but hadn't guessed her true identity. Still, now that Zhou Jin was hooked, she was overjoyed.
Zhou Jin was a man of clear-cut love and hate—intensely cold, yet hiding an equally intense tenderness.
His youthful experiences had turned him into a cold-blooded, merciless living king of hell, who despised betrayal and deception above all else.
Thinking of this, Xu Bao'er curled herself into a ball.
She pondered how she should deal with Zhou Jin once he discovered her true identity.
What should she wear for the occasion?
A little eunuch's uniform? Or perhaps a guard's attire?
In the real world, Xu Bao'er was an orphan. Although Zhou Jin wasn't an orphan, he had an even more unfortunate childhood than hers.
Sharing similar hardships, Xu Bao'er felt an extra layer of tolerance and understanding toward Zhou Jin.
She admired his courage and resilience—how he managed to survive and live splendidly despite being disliked and bullied by everyone around him.
Like a flower growing amidst thorns, he broke through the darkness and flourished freely.