She shrank herself smaller, her previous arrogance gone: “My lord, why have you come?” As soon as she finished speaking, she sneezed.

He replied unhurriedly: “It’s been two hours. I came to see if you’ve been pickled enough to go with wine.”

Oh my, had it been that long? No wonder the bathwater had grown cold. She quickly laughed it off: “I accidentally fell asleep. I’m getting up now, could you please, uh—give me some privacy?” Could he show some gentlemanly virtue? Though these words seemed to have little connection with Yun Ya.

The candlelight cast his shadow on the folding screen, so Feng Miaojun knew only a screen separated them. Moreover, with this man’s boundless supernatural powers, who knew if he could see through objects?

Yun Ya laughed: “What’s there to hide? Nothing remarkable.”

Feng Miaojun ground her teeth. What did he mean by “nothing remarkable”? Look at her slender waist and long legs, her narrow shoulders and delicate back—weren’t these all the ultimate attributes of beauty? It was just that her chest and hips hadn’t fully developed yet. With her parents’ good genes, a voluptuous figure was just a matter of time!

Fortunately, although Yun Ya made this sarcastic remark, he turned and walked out, giving her space to dress without embarrassment.

Feng Miaojun hurriedly dried herself and put on her clothes, loosely tying her wet hair at the back of her head before quickly stepping around the screen. This ancestor had a temper—if she was slow in serving him, he would be displeased.

Sure enough, when Yun Ya saw her, he snorted: “I thought you’d take half a year to dress.”

Feng Miaojun’s face was all smiles, deciding not to argue with him: “How could I let you come personally?”

As the saying goes, “Don’t strike a smiling face,” and Yun Ya’s expression softened somewhat: “To change the medicine.”

“Of course, of course.” How could she say no? Two hours ago, she should have been changing his bandages.

Yun Ya looked around, found the elm chair too hard, and simply sat on the bed.

Feng Miaojun bit her lip and endured it, taking the medicine box from the table and beginning her daily routine.

She lowered her head to tend to the wound on his back. Her still-damp hair fell, exuding a faint, elegant fragrance, unlike the powdery scent of most women. It was refined, and upon closer smell, had a hint of crispness, like winter plum blossoms suddenly appearing on a frost-covered wall.

Yun Ya suddenly asked in a low voice: “Besides small orchid, what else?”

“Huh?” She was slightly startled, taking a moment to realize he was asking about her fragrance. “There’s also a bit of pine.”

Yun Ya nodded: “Not bad. Mix some and place it in the side room of the cubic inch bottle.”

Receiving praise from him was quite remarkable. Feng Miaojun was stunned before responding, feeling somehow embarrassed. This was her fragrance—what did he mean by putting it in his incense burner?

But then she silently chided herself.

What nonsense was she thinking? This man had a mind full of schemes, but so far, none seemed related to romance. Besides, she had long decided to keep her distance from him. Their current brief reunion was merely preparation for a long future separation.

Hmm, thinking about it this way, something still felt off.

Feng Miaojun was wondering if her brain had been affected by the cold water when she heard Yun Ya ask: “Princess Hanyue’s wedding—do you want to attend the ceremony?”

He didn’t even blink, speaking as casually as if asking what she wanted for tomorrow’s meal.

Feng Miaojun suddenly looked up, studying his handsome profile for a long time before giving a one-word answer: “Yes!”

This time it was Yun Ya’s turn to raise his long eyebrows, turning to look at her: “Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill your good friend?”

“You have no reason to kill her and wouldn’t take such an unnecessary risk.” Feng Miaojun had moved to his front to apply medicine, her delicate white fingers lingering on his chest. Despite this intimate gesture, she was so focused she didn’t even blink. From Yun Ya’s perspective, looking down, he could notice her long, curled eyelashes like two small fans, yet they remained steady, unlike those of typical young maidens who fluttered them incessantly with coyness.

This girl constantly flattered him, but deep inside, like her fragrance, she had a certain strength of character. Yun Ya found it interesting: “No necessity? How do you figure?”

“With the Cliff Mountain underground palace destroyed, the shortest passage between Yao and Jin has been cut off. Your goal has been achieved.” She didn’t look up, her voice calm and measured. “Whether Princess Hanyue lives or dies won’t change the political situation. Even if she successfully marries Miao Fengxian, the support the Yao Kingdom receives in the future will be minimal. Otherwise, you would have acted already. I just don’t understand—”

“Hmm?” This sound was like a small hook, making one’s heart itch with curiosity.

“Why are you going to the Yao capital?” She spoke frankly. “That place is full of hidden dangers, enemies on all sides, and your injuries haven’t fully healed.” Could it be this man was addicted to infiltrating other countries’ capitals alone? “If you encounter Master Ti, it will be another great battle.”

“Relax, do you think I love fighting all the time?” He smiled. “I’m merely passing through. We need to return to the Wei Kingdom, and the shortest route inevitably passes through the Yao capital.”

Could it be that simple? Her eyes were full of doubt.

“You don’t trust me, Miao Jun?” Yun Ya sighed. “How heartbreaking.”

Her reaction was to shudder, breaking out in goosebumps all over.

Yun Ya looked at her for a moment, then suddenly became serious: “Do you have an alias or nickname? The name Feng Miaojun is best not heard by others.”

His reasoning made sense. Feng Miaojun replied readily: “My childhood name is An’an.”

“An’an?”

“…Yes.” Such a magnetic voice, the way he said it made her soul melt. She had never imagined such an ordinary name could sound so enchanting from his lips, stirring his imagiKingdom.

Feng Miaojun inexplicably blushed, though the dim lamplight made it barely noticeable.

The chest wound was healing nicely; she estimated he could run and jump again in two days. After applying the medicine, Yun Ya stood up and said seriously: “We leave tomorrow morning.”

The next morning.

Like the previous days, Feng Miaojun rose before dawn, completed her washing, and then entered the cubic-inch bottle to manage the dark room and collect the Blood Tree’s pollen. When the light was just right, she took out the bottle to let it bask in the sun. The transparent bottle allowed the Blood Tree inside to enjoy its sunbath as well.

This was how a plant should naturally grow, not by exhausting immense effort to absorb nourishment from the earth’s true fire. Thus, just a few days after leaving the Cliff Mountain underground palace, the Blood Tree had grown over a foot taller, its branches and leaves vibrant, and the silver flowers it produced were larger and more gorgeous.

Feng Miaojun’s task was to carefully collect the pollen before the dew disappeared. Yun Ya wanted to brew wine with it, but this small town didn’t have spiritual wine yeast, so they had to settle for second best. Yesterday, Feng Miaojun bought about fifty jin of honey in town to process it into pollen honey paste.

Each day, the pollen collected from the silver flowers could be refined into two liang of pollen honey paste, sometimes more, sometimes less, which gave Feng Miaojun enough flexibility. After giving Yun Ya his share, she could still fill her private stores.