Tears welled up in her pale blue eyes: “I shouldn’t have harbored improper thoughts towards my lady, it was Guangjing’s fault. Just now, when my lady emitted that kind of… scent, I shouldn’t have shown such base and shameful expressions, offending my lady. I’ll punish myself today.”

She smiled self-mockingly, large tears silently sliding from her eyes.

“But my lady’s accusation, Guangjing doesn’t understand at all. Why would I drug you?”

Liu Changning remained unmoved. Even though the young man before her was bleeding from his arm, she no longer had a heart to pity him. Not all men could make her step forward and offer kindness.

She raised an eyebrow and said coldly, “Did you make the mutton soup?”

Jing Huan looked at her uncertainly, hesitating before nodding. Her arm was still dripping blood, but due to this self-mutilation, there was some clarity in her eyes.

Liu Changning’s expression remained unchanged, but she thought to herself, this person is indeed ruthless. Able to harm herself, if she was indeed wrongly accused this time…

Liu Changning narrowed her eyes, looking him up and down inconspicuously, and continued to ask, “Someone put aphrodisiac in the mutton soup. If it wasn’t you, who else could it be?”

Jing Huan’s eyes suddenly widened, the tears accumulated in her eyes falling like curtains of rain, uninterrupted.

She pressed her full lips tightly together, the stubbornness in her eyes still very clear even though they were full of tears.

She opened her mouth, seeming extremely wronged, and after remaining silent for a long while, she finally looked up, her pale blue eyes washed by tears, particularly clear.

“It’s true that Guangjing made that bowl of mutton soup tonight, but how could Guangjing do such a despicable thing as drugging? Moreover, half a month ago, my lady said she didn’t like mutton. Guangjing is not foolish, if I wanted to drug my lady with aphrodisiac, there are thousands of ways, how would I put it in mutton soup?”

Jing Huan hung her hands, her words sincere.

Seeing Liu Changning cupping her chin, a flash of light passing through her eyes.

She bitterly tugged at the corners of her mouth and continued to self-mock, “Guangjing indeed admires my lady, but no matter how much I like you, I was awakened by my lady’s rejection this afternoon. The mutton soup was originally made for the young master. Because my lady doesn’t like the smell of mutton, we usually don’t have such food at home. But today, the young master brought back a whole sheep from town and put it in the kitchen, saying it was to nourish his body. Guangjing privately thought the young master liked it, so I made mutton soup for the young master, and would never dare to drug and poison.”

Liu Changning didn’t speak. She was never one to believe one side of the story, but… this person had reason and evidence. Thinking of the strange expression on her convenient husband’s face when he pushed the mutton soup to her, Liu Changning pursed her lips, curling her middle finger to scratch her slightly hot palm.

After a moment of silence, those cold eyes finally fell on the young man in front of her.

She saw that he looked extremely wretched, his clothes hanging loosely on his body, his left arm bleeding profusely.

His expression was restrained yet stubborn. Seeing her look, he stood straight and bowed stiffly to her.

“Since my lady is unwilling to tolerate Guangjing and accuses me of such despicable acts, it’s better for Guangjing to leave, lest I pollute your eyes.”

After saying this, he turned away with a face full of shame and indignation. As he turned his head, tears once again burst from his eyes, flying in the air.

Under the cool moonlight, it was truly a pitiful sight.

“Wait a moment!”

Jing Huan, with her back turned and about to step out, paused. Her full lips curled into a faint arc, which quickly disappeared. She turned her head, pressing her lips, her face looking desolate yet stubborn.

Liu Changning rummaged in her bosom, took out a silver ingot and stuffed it into his arms: “Go to town and find a doctor. Take care of yourself in the future.”

After saying this, she leaned against the wall, turned her back, and sat down at the corner of the wall, no longer looking at him.

Jing Huan gripped the silver in her hand, feeling utterly desolate.

Master was still master. Even though she had completely exonerated herself, she had shown such an expression in front of her.

She was not willing to give her even a bit more tenderness.

Tonight’s moonlight was particularly cold. Jing Huan shook off the chill on her body, her full lips pressed into a straight line.

Not asking her to believe her, as long as she had doubts about Pei Yuanshao in her heart, she wouldn’t lose so miserably no matter what.

Jing Huan walked slowly to the door. At the moment of closing the wooden door, her eyes met with that person’s scrutinizing gaze.

She didn’t believe her! As expected, yet somehow disappointing.

Jing Huan gave her a complex look, and closed the door in a wretched state.

—

When Pei Yuanshao woke up from the corner of the wall, it was still early. He rubbed his sore neck, feeling a bit dazed.

As yesterday’s memories flooded back, that frenzied, all-encompassing scent in the room… his earlobes hidden beneath his black hair instantly turned red.

He looked down to check his clothes, which were slightly disheveled but still intact on his body. The room was empty.

That person had disappeared without a trace.

Recalling the intoxicating scent on that person yesterday, the crimson eyes, the domineering aura throughout her body, he couldn’t help but feel a tingling in his heart again.

She, under the influence of the drug, was undoubtedly different from usual.

The coldness on her body lessened, but there was more arousing desire that moved him.

The only disappointing thing was that despite his shameful pleading, even though her eyes were bloodshot from restraint, she still refused to touch him.

Because of lack of love.

Pei Yuanshao drooped his eyelids, a trace of disappointment passing through his eyes.

He stood dazed in the room for quite a while before changing his clothes.

Pushing open the wooden door, he saw a dark figure lying under the old locust tree in the courtyard.

Getting closer, he finally saw clearly that the person was asleep on the rocking chair.

The sky was still a bit gloomy. The woman wearing white linen clothes had her black hair scattered, eyes tightly closed, brows relaxed.

Asleep, she had shed her usual coldness, and also lacked yesterday’s crimson dominance.

She had gained a few touches of serene beauty, with dewdrops of early autumn clinging to her long dense eyelashes. A morning breeze blew, causing her to curl up her hands and feet before falling back into deep sleep.

Pei Yuanshao pressed his lips together, stepped forward twice, hesitated for a moment, then bent down to pick her up.

As his hands touched her shapely slender waist, they involuntarily trembled as if electrified.

Holding her body, his palms broke out in a fine sweat.

Through the clothes, her cold temperature transmitted, scorching his heart tip until it felt a bit hot.

He couldn’t help but quicken his pace, pushed open the wooden door, and hurriedly placed her on the wooden bed.

He bent down to cover her with the brocade quilt by the bed, but when the quilt rested on her shoulders.

His gaze froze, unable to move away.

The woman before his eyes seemed to have become even fairer. As she slept, her lips were slightly pouted. Though the color was pale, they had become moist and glossy from the dew.

The sensation of her lips should be as soft as cotton, he… um… he had touched them that day.

A trace of frustration passed through his eyes, but at that time, he had angrily pushed her away, too quickly, without much memory. If he could touch them again…

Just fifteen minutes, he would surely be able to engrave that sensation into his bones.

Pei Yuanshao lowered his head, his gaze fixed motionlessly on her lips.