After bathing, Tang Lichu put on a crimson silk nightgown. Her jet-black hair cascaded down her back like drifting smoke, revealing her delicate collarbones and fair, smooth skin. The hem fell just below her knees, showing her slender legs and dainty, petite feet.
Li Juechen sat lazily on the bed, his gaze fixed on her—sharp, possessive, as if he meant to devour her whole.
Two elderly maids stood on either side, supporting her. Li Juechen found their presence irritating. He lifted a hand, his long fingers flicked dismissively. The women understood at once; they turned and hurried out, closing the door softly behind them.
Li Juechen stepped before her. One hand curved gently around her slender waist—so fragile it seemed it might snap—and with a light lift, he settled her onto the soft, spacious bed.
“Dressed like this… aren’t you afraid this gentleman will give in to his desires?”
His voice, deep and rich, rumbled near her ear. Warm breath fanned over her face, which had already flushed a deep scarlet. The faint, distinctive scent of tobacco clinging to him drifted into her senses, making her heart race wildly.
“This… this gown was chosen by Third Master for me, was it not?”
Li Juechen’s eyes burned as he watched the small woman before him. His lips curled faintly, his voice dropping to a husky murmur: “It was. From now on, dress like this always. This gentleman likes it.”
Tang Lichu began to speak—only to feel a firm hand at her waist pull her upward. Before she could react, his mouth came down hard on hers, claiming her in a fierce, searing kiss.
It was long, deep, and thorough, leaving her weak and pliant. One hand cupped the back of her neck, the other wrapped firmly around her waist, drawing her fully against him. He held her face, tasting the sweetness of her mouth, parting her lips with overwhelming force, his tongue tangling with hers.
Tang Lichu’s face blushed bright as a ripe, juicy peach. She looked as exquisitely beautiful as a porcelain doll displayed in a shop window—so lovely that anyone who looked upon her would feel unworthy, as if even a single glance more would be a sin.
Li Juechen stood spellbound, his gaze roaming slowly over every inch of her, as if he meant to etch her image forever into his mind. Finally his eyes settled on hers. He leaned down and kissed her eyelids gently, his tone half-order, half-warning:
“Close your eyes. If you dare look at this gentleman with those bewitching eyes again… be warned—I truly will devour you.”
Tang Lichu obeyed, her long lashes fluttering like the wings of a butterfly. She spoke softly, breathless: “Third Master… should… should we still apply the medicine?”
The sound of her voice sent a hot, sudden rush straight through him. He clenched his jaw, forcing the words out through gritted teeth: “Yes. But you—no talking, no opening your eyes. Lie perfectly still and do not move.”
He drew a sharp breath, fighting to rein in his surging desire. Carefully, gently, he began applying the ointment to her injury.
Once done, he stood abruptly as if granted a reprieve, and strode quickly toward the washroom. Moments later, the sound of rushing water filled the room.
Dinner was brought in and set on a small table beside the bed. Li Juechen would not let her rise. Instead, he pulled her firmly into his embrace, his lips brushing her soft ear as he spoke.
“This gentleman will feed you.”
Every instinct in her cried out in protest. She protested weakly: “Third Master, it is only my knee. I am perfectly capable of feeding myself.”
In the end, he gave in. The girl had been so soft and obedient all this time—yet now she showed a stubborn streak. She simply kept her mouth shut, refusing to open it until he relented. Li Juechen looked at her, half-amused, half-exasperated, fighting the urge to nip that pouting lip.
With less than a month remaining before the military parade, Li Juechen spent most nights at the military camp. Tang Lichu had expected him to leave earlier—but he stayed until the hour of the Dog. Only then did he lean down and kiss her porcelain-soft cheek.
“This gentleman must return to camp. I shall come see you tomorrow. Do not walk about on that leg—rest, so it heals quickly. Do you understand?”
Tang Lichu nodded. “Third Master has important duties. You need not come every day. Aunt Cheng can help me apply the medicine.”
Li Juechen was indeed occupied. He must display his forces’ strength to the Shen and Meng families. More than that—security around the parade grounds had to be flawless. Should anything befall the two Generals Shen and Meng while they were in Beiping, the consequences would be unthinkable.
After he left, Tang Lichu sank back onto the bed, all strength draining from her limbs. She let out a long, quiet breath. To her dismay, she felt a strange, hollow ache in her chest.
To have grown so dependent on someone… that was never a good sign.
Once she had loved and relied on her mother with all her heart, believing family love would last forever. But her mother had died when she was only ten. Later, she had come to think of her foster parents’ home as her own—only to realize they had taken her in for nothing but their own gain. She knew that heartbreak, the feeling of being shattered into a thousand pieces that could never be put back together. She never wanted to feel that way again.
So she would keep her heart guarded. Give nothing of herself—and she could never be hurt. If she offered no true affection, then when this life eventually came to an end, she could walk away freely, without looking back.
She had been abandoned once. She was terrified of it happening again…
Meanwhile, back at the camp, Li Juechen had barely stepped into his command tent when he was met by Li Yuanzhou—who looked at him with a knowing, teasing grin.
“Third Brother, before you left you looked as though the whole world dared not approach you. How is it you return looking so… thoroughly pleased with life? Let me take a whiff—why, I thought you detested sweet scents! Yet you reek of it. Been to visit your little darling, have we?”
Li Juechen laughed and gave him a light kick. “Get lost. Tease this gentleman again and you shall regret it.”
Li Yuanzhou clicked his tongue in mock dismay, closing his eyes and clutching his chest in exaggerated hurt. “Alas! My Third Brother has fallen under a woman’s spell—he is no longer kind to me! He kicks me and drives me away! I am heartbroken! I hate this little darling of yours—she has stolen all your affection from me!”
Li Juechen rapped him sharply on the back of the head. “Say one more word and I shall not be so lenient. The girl was injured—do not speak of her in such coarse terms.”
Li Yuanzhou rubbed his head, grinning unrepentantly. “Keeping her close yet holding back… my pure-hearted Third Brother!”
The days that followed found Li Juechen busier than ever. The foreign arms dealer Li Yuanzhou had contacted in the West had arrived in Beiping, and Commander Li Xiao himself was to receive him.
In those turbulent times, weapons were the very lifeblood of every campaign—and the key to victory. Commander Li Xiao took the matter gravely. Though they had existing suppliers, this new contact hailed from a different nation, offering arms of different design and quality.
Li Yuanzhou’s journey West had originally been one of reconnaissance. Commander Li Xiao had long held hopes of reclaiming the Western Territories; Li Juechen, ever cautious, preferred certainty before committing to battle—and so had sent his Sixth Brother to survey the land.
And this unexpected boon had come of it!
Li Yuanzhou loved wine, women, and song. As it happened, this particular dealer shared his tastes. They had met in the most prestigious dance hall in the West—and struck up an instant friendship.