The bathtub was originally meant for one person; with two inside, they were practically pressed against each other.
Xie Jinglan was enveloped by the sweet, feminine fragrance unique to her—a warm, intimate scent that seemed to radiate from her very skin.
He couldn’t help but lower his head, pressing it against the Fragrance Pool at her collarbone, then his large hand slipped inside her collar until it found the small sachet at her waist. “Is this where the fragrance comes from?”
Then, bypassing the sachet, his hand continued its exploration…
Wen Ning had intended to explain, but his restless palm disrupted her thoughts. Her lips parted, but before any words could escape, a soft “mm” slipped from her throat, which she hurriedly bit back.
She was startled by the sound she had just made, hating herself for being so easily stirred by him.
Wanting to stop those mischievous hands, Wen Ning said shyly, “Marquis, this servant wishes to change clothes.”
Xie Jinglan’s brow twitched. “Good!” he said, then called loudly toward the door, “Bring two inner robes!”
Wen Ning’s peach-blossom eyes brimmed with anger and resentment. Now, surely everyone outside would know—that she had entered the Marquis’s bathtub while he was suffering from the poison…
She was utterly mortified!
And the Marquis had asked for inner robes!
It seemed she would have to stay here again tonight…
Qing Feng hadn’t expected his master to recover so quickly this time; in the past, it would take at least two or three hours.
Two sets of what?
What? Two sets?
Why two sets!
Realizing, Qing Feng immediately glanced around and indeed found no trace of Miss Wen.
It dawned on him—no wonder his master had recovered so swiftly this time; he had found the perfect antidote.
Qing Feng promptly ordered a maid to deliver two sets of inner robes—one for the Marquis and one for Miss Wen.
“Have you missed me these past few days?” Xie Jinglan asked, the moment he pulled away from her lips, posing a question that left her flustered.
Nestled in his embrace, Wen Ning breathed lightly, her small face flushed as if intoxicated, her words still somewhat fragmented. “This servant… this servant has been learning embroidery with Nanny Xue these past few days and hasn’t had time to miss you.”
Xie Jinglan could tell—having learned from last time, she had grown wiser.
“I’ve said before, you are not to refer to yourself as ‘this servant,’” he said. Though he hadn’t yet given her an official title, he no longer wished to hear her call herself a servant.
Wen Ning shook her head, pleading slightly, “A servant is a servant. Besides, this servant is already accustomed to it and cannot change it overnight.”
In truth, she didn’t want to change it—she feared that once she altered this form of address, it would solidify her relationship with the Marquis.
She planned to escape from Hou Manor. A servant fleeing might be a minor matter, but if someone with a title escaped, it wouldn’t be so simple.
Xie Jinglan curved his knuckles and gently brushed the tip of her lovely nose, dotingly saying, “You’re quite stubborn…”
He didn’t want to dwell on such trivial matters, only wishing to once again fiercely claim those moist, crimson lips.
As their lips met, Wen Ning instinctively wrapped her arms around Xie Jinglan’s neck. Perhaps she didn’t even realize it herself—she no longer resisted his kisses, and even… rather enjoyed them.
Feeling the person beneath him moaning softly in equal discomfort, Xie Jinglan almost pleaded, “Could you keep your chastity for him for just half a year?”
He could wait even one or two more months.
When the person in his arms understood, she shook her head without the slightest mercy.
How heartless!
He somewhat regretted why he had agreed to her request in the first place.
Breathing gradually grew heavy and lingering. Xie Jinglan knew full well he was "bringing trouble upon himself," yet he couldn't resist lingering amidst the sweetness.
His large hands measured every inch of her skin until they pinched the soft flesh at her waist. He lowered his head and chuckled softly by her ear, "It seems the food at Tingsong Courtyard is quite good—you seem to have grown a little plumper."
These words struck Wen Ning like a blow to the head. Her eyes, which had been shimmering with moisture, instantly cleared.
She had indeed gained some weight recently, especially around her belly. It was likely she couldn’t hide it much longer.
Yet not only had she failed to find an opportunity to escape, but she had also willingly offered herself to suck the poison from him.
What if she had to do this for him every time in the future?
Then it would be even more impossible for her to leave.
Thinking of this, Wen Ning couldn’t help but curse herself inwardly. How could she be so foolish?
And just now, even though she had verbally denied any relationship with the Marquis, her body had already surrendered.
She felt she was both foolish and shameless!
These past few days, she had been sharing a room with Nanny Xue. She had originally worried that Nanny Xue might notice something unusual about her, but now it seemed the first to notice would more likely be the Marquis.
She could almost envision the heads hanging from the Marquis’s saddle not belonging to enemy soldiers, but to her own!
Sensing the reaction of the person in his arms, Xie Jinglan looked down at her and noticed her complexion had turned somewhat pale. "Is the water too cold? Are you chilled?"
Wen Ning nodded.
In truth, the water was warm, and his embrace was scorching hot. She couldn’t possibly be cold.
Yet, upon hearing this, Xie Jinglan felt deeply remorseful.
She had just sucked the poison from him, was soaking in this cold water, and now he had been tormenting her relentlessly. She truly was a pitiful little thing.
Xie Jinglan carried her out of the bathtub, sat on the bathing couch himself, picked up a cotton cloth, and prepared to dry her off.
Wen Ning lowered her head in embarrassment and hurriedly stopped him. "This servant dares not. How could this servant let the Marquis…" As she spoke, she reached out to take the cloth and dry herself.
"If this Marquis says it’s fine, then it’s fine."
After Wen Ning changed into dry clothes, he finally scooped her up in his arms and placed her on the bed.
"Should we call for a physician to take a look?" Xie Jinglan asked, seeing her wrap herself tightly in the quilt and shrink to the innermost side of the bed.
Wen Ning shook her head. Beneath the quilt, even her jade-like neck was tinged with a faint blush. "This servant might just be tired. Resting for a while should help."
Xie Jinglan lay down beside her, propping himself up on his elbow by her pillow, and said gently, "Then rest well for the next two days. During this time, just focus on resting and don’t worry about anything else."
"Marquis…"
"Hmm?"
"What is it?" Seeing her hesitant and faltering manner, Xie Jinglan simply turned her over to face him.
"Don’t worry, I won’t touch you today. I mean what I say. You worked so hard to save this Marquis just now—I shouldn’t take advantage of you."
Wen Ning nodded, her eyes, like pools of autumn water, unusually earnest. "Marquis, if this servant may speak out of turn, if the Marquis wishes to completely rid himself of this poison, he should find the poisoner as soon as possible. Since this poison isn’t immediately fatal, it’s highly likely the poisoner possesses the antidote. They don’t want the Marquis to die right away but to suffer the torment of the Fire Poison frequently. I wonder what their purpose is!"
Xie Jinglan hadn’t expected this petite girl not only to help alleviate his pain but also to want him to never suffer from this poison again.
If she hadn’t looked so pitiful just now, he would have truly wanted to devour this adorable creature whole.
"This Marquis has also been searching for the poisoner, but the matter is peculiar, and there are no leads yet."