Soaked through, her hair plastered to her face in disarray, she looked utterly disheveled.
Only after catching her breath did she belatedly realize she was sitting on Chu Jin.
Through their thin, drenched clothing, their bodies pressed tightly together.
She could clearly feel his sturdy thighs and the firm, scorching muscles.
Luo Ran panicked, instinctively trying to push herself up, but her palm landed on his bare chest.
Beneath her palm was the solid, burning muscle of his chest, and she could even faintly sense his heartbeat—thump after thump, making her palm grow hot.
Luo Ran hastily withdrew her hand as if scalded.
But as she pulled back, without support, she slid down a little further, sitting squarely on the man’s lap.
In the friction, Chu Jin’s brow furrowed slightly, and the hand gripping her waist suddenly tightened, the force so great it felt as though he might snap her waist in two.
Luo Ran was so flustered she could barely speak coherently, “S-Sir, why did you suddenly pull this servant…”
Chu Jin looked at her damp face up close, his expression utterly composed.
In a low, husky voice, he said, “When did I ever pull you?”
Luo Ran stared at him wide-eyed.
His eyes were deep and calm, showing not a ripple of emotion.
He simply looked at her, composed and unruffled, his expression serious, with no trace of guilt.
Under that gaze, Luo Ran suddenly felt uncertain.
She mumbled softly,
“B-But this servant clearly felt a hand pulling my wrist, which is why I slipped and fell in…”
Chu Jin raised an eyebrow.
“Oh?”
He spoke slowly, his voice deep and resonant,
“Are you saying that this general intentionally pulled you into the bathtub, with some ulterior motive toward you?”
Luo Ran’s mind grew even more muddled at his question.
She had been quite certain before…
The strength of that hand, the angle—it was clearly deliberate.
But with Chu Jin looking at her like this, so composed and unruffled, she couldn’t help but doubt herself.
After all, someone like Chu Jin, cold and unyielding—how could he possibly do something so frivolous and teasing?
“Th-Then perhaps this servant remembered wrong…”
Her voice grew softer and softer, “Maybe my clothes caught on something…”
Chu Jin said nothing.
Luo Ran increasingly felt she had overthought things, a wave of guilt washing over her. She whispered,
“I’m sorry, sir, this servant was too reckless…”
Only after speaking did she realize the hands around her waist were still gripping tightly, showing no intention of letting go.
She struggled slightly, “Sir…”
Chu Jin looked down at her, his gaze traveling from her damp brows and eyes downward, sweeping over the curves made even more delicate by the wet clothing, finally settling on her anxious face—her ears flushed red, her damp eyelashes trembling in clusters.
This little lady, sold out and still counting the money for the seller.
The corner of his lips curved slightly, a faint, dark glint flashing in his eyes.
Luo Ran felt uncomfortable under his gaze and continued struggling to get up,
“This servant will leave now… Y-Your hand…”
Luo Ran gestured for Chu Jin to release her, but the hand around her waist remained firmly in place.
She looked up at the man before her, somewhat confused.
It was then that Chu Jin spoke leisurely, his tone carrying a hint of meaningful implication,
“First you bumped into me, and now you pretend to fall into the water…”
“Luo Ran, are you deliberately trying to provoke me?”
Faced with this baseless accusation, Luo Ran couldn’t help but widen her eyes.
Chu Jin’s gaze slowly drifted down from her bewildered little face, lingering on the outline of her clothes softened by the steam.
Luo Ran, reacting a beat too late, felt Chu Jin’s gaze and hurriedly denied,
“Master, this servant truly didn’t mean that…”
But Chu Jin leisurely withdrew his gaze and continued on his own,
“Do you perhaps think I’m someone so easily disturbed?”
“If that’s all the thought you’ve put into this…”
He drew out his last words, a dark glint flickering in his eyes, his meaning lingering,
“I’m afraid it’s far from enough…”
Luo Ran listened, only half understanding.
But her face burned fiercely, a mix of shame and urgency, wanting only to escape this awkward situation as quickly as possible.
She struggled to stand upright, not daring to reach out and touch his chest again, and could only twist her body, trying to find footing at the bottom of the pool to push herself up.
But she forgot she was still sitting on his lap. As she shifted and moved, her body lightly rubbed against him back and forth, her faint, elegant scent lingering at the tip of his nose, unsettling his mind.
Under the water, subtle movements caused Chu Jin’s brows to suddenly tighten, a suppressed, very soft groan escaping his throat.
The next moment, he exerted force with his hand.
Luo Ran felt the world spin, water splashing everywhere.
Before she could react, she was already pressed into the water.
Chu Jin flipped over, pinning her beneath him, one hand braced against the tub wall, the other gripping her waist.
The water rippled, steam misting the air. He looked down at her from above, something turbulent swirling in his eyes.
Luo Ran lay on her back in the water, meeting those eyes—cold, fierce, and sharp, as if they were about to devour her whole in the next second.
“Luo Ran.”
Chu Jin called her name, his voice low and hoarse, as if squeezed from deep within his chest.
“Are you determined to force me to take you right now?”
Luo Ran froze completely.
The warm water rippled with heat, their legs inadvertently touching.
She paused for a moment, and upon realizing what it was, her entire body stiffened as if struck by lightning, not daring to move an inch.
“M-Master…”
Her eyes widened in terror, her lips trembling.
Her voice shook, her eyes wet with what might have been water or tears as she looked up at Chu Jin.
Before she could finish speaking, her cheek was suddenly pinched.
The palm was rough with calluses from years of martial arts training, and with a slight squeeze, it slightly deformed her cheek.
Seeing her like this, Chu Jin’s gaze deepened even further.
Luo Ran only felt darkness descend before her eyes as Chu Jin kissed her.
She trembled all over, pausing for a moment before reacting, then hurriedly reached out to push him away.
But how could she possibly push Chu Jin away?
His chest was hot and hard, his overwhelming aura terrifyingly domineering. One hand cupped the back of her head, not allowing her to retreat even half a step.
The kiss was fierce and urgent, carrying an intense possessiveness that brooked no evasion.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
A sudden knocking sound echoed.
“Master, urgent news from the palace… It’s about the matter you’ve been concerned with these past few days.”
Luo Ran jolted awake in panic, frantically trying to push him away.
Chu Jin paused briefly but didn’t withdraw. Instead, he deepened the kiss, sucking on her lips once more before slowly pulling back.
Their breaths tangled chaotically as his fingertips gently brushed her flushed cheek.
The corners of his eyes tinged with red, the lingering warmth still on his lips.
Chu Jin’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
“I’ll be back soon.”
His voice was low and rough, reluctant, his thumb gently stroking her cheek once more.
“Go wait for me in my room.”
With that, he stood up and stepped out of the bathtub, grabbing the inner robe from the rack and hastily draping it over himself. Tying the sash as he walked, he headed out.