The surge of troops brought the imperial palace to life.

The smell of blood also drifted on the wind into their nostrils.

On the way up the city wall just now, corpses lay everywhere. Even the firelight couldn’t illuminate the full horror. Who knew what kind of hell would be visible when dawn broke tomorrow.

That person leaned against the city wall, night draped over him, shrouded in dimness.

When Xiao Man had come over holding a torch for her, he had stopped her with disgust: “Are you stupid? Want everyone to see me? Want me to die for nothing?”

Chu Zhao had Xiao Man put away the torch and leave. She felt her way to his side and leaned against the wall next to him.

Below the city gate, troops trampled. The city wall had been manned with new people. All around was noisy and chaotic, but the two of them leaning here seemed isolated from the world.

And for a moment, neither spoke.

It was Xie Yanlai who first broke the silence: “Hey.”

Something had to be said.

Otherwise this was strange.

Once he opened his mouth, Chu Zhao also opened hers.

“Xie Yanlai,” she said, “why did you throw me down the mountain that day!”

Xie Yanlai was both angry and amused: “What are you talking about!”

What time was this? After experiencing such momentous events? How could this habit never change? Every time was like this—clearly at important moments with so many important things to say, yet she opened her mouth with inexplicably absurd, trivial words.

“How is this inexplicable?” Chu Zhao said angrily, her hand at her side clenching into a fist. “What if I had fallen to my death?”

Xie Yanlai said: “You wouldn’t have. Your mother caught you. We had it all planned.”

“Planned? In pitch darkness, complete chaos—who could guarantee nothing would go wrong?” Chu Zhao demanded. “What if I really had died!”

She talked as if she was so afraid of death. If she was really afraid of death, why did she come back?

“You’re criticizing me? Why did you come back? Didn’t you know I was here as a puppet? You fought and killed your way here—what if someone killed me?” Xie Yanlai raised his eyebrows and countered.

Chu Zhao was angry, yet inexplicably laughed.

If he was really afraid of death, why would he come to be a puppet?

She knew why he did it.

Chu Zhao suddenly stopped talking. Xie Yanlai had been about to continue his mocking questions, but swallowed them back.

He also knew why she did it.

He wanted to say something, yet felt there was nothing to say.

“It wouldn’t have happened. We really had it planned,” he said quietly. “Many people were hidden at the bottom of the mountain waiting, nets set up. Even if your mother hadn’t caught you, nothing would have happened. Think about it—didn’t you see the nets when you fell?”

So they were really going to discuss this. Chu Zhao’s voice was muffled: “I don’t know. I was so scared I fainted. I didn’t know anything.”

Scared into fainting? Who could scare her into fainting? Playing pitiful. Xie Yanlai touched his chin: “Chu Zhao, don’t forget—you bit me first, left a huge scar. I haven’t said anything about that.”

Cool yet soft hands reached over, cupping his face, carefully caressing.

“Really?”

The girl straightened to touch his face. Because he was too tall, she had to stand on tiptoe, or perhaps because she was too exhausted, she swayed unsteadily after rising on tiptoe.

Xie Yanlai quickly reached out to support her waist.

She pressed closer to him, reaching up to caress his chin, tilting her head up to look closely.

“It scarred?” she asked worriedly.

She had been poisoned then, nearly lost her life. If she had truly bitten through, A’Jiu would have been poisoned too, then festered and such.

He was leaning against the wall from exhaustion—the wall was his support. He truly had not a bit of strength left to hold up another person. Yet somehow, with this girl pressed against him now, Xie Yanlai didn’t collapse from exhaustion. Instead, it was as if he had gained another source of support.

He slowly embraced the person before him, felt his weariness dissipate. He no longer needed the wall behind him.

The person before her suddenly embraced her. Chu Zhao startled.

“A’Jiu, A’Jiu,” she called urgently.

She wasn’t a fool. Not letting firelight illuminate him—how could that be about fearing his identity would be exposed? After all this killing, who still cared about identities? Clearly his injuries were too severe and he didn’t want her to see.

“What do we do, what do we do?” Chu Zhao murmured.

Should she call a physician directly, or first help him lie down?

“What do we do?” Xie Yanlai felt like laughing.

Because he suddenly embraced her, the girl’s hands fell on his shoulders, pressed closer to him, then her forehead touched his chin.

Xie Yanlai actually didn’t know what was happening either. He heard his own voice say: “Then I’ll bite you once too.”

Then he truly did bite down.

He meant to bite her chin—repaying in kind—but he didn’t have enough strength, and his vision wasn’t clear, so he bit the wrong place.

This place was also flesh, but unlike the hand that cupped his face, unlike the skin that brushed his cheek.

Soft and moist.

He only intended one bite, but the moment his mouth closed, juices burst forth. His hunger and exhaustion were instantly soothed. He couldn’t help but greedily want several more bites.

But strangely, after several more bites, the hunger that had vanished rose like fire from the depths of his heart, igniting his entire body.

Intense, scorching, burning hot. He had to forcefully suck, pry open the obstructing teeth, seize more sweetness.

Until soft moaning sounds came from before him, and hands beat against him—only then did he suddenly return to his senses.

What was he doing?

He opened his eyes. In the dim darkness of night, he saw black eyes. He and she were still lip to lip, teeth to teeth.

In this instant, even breathing stopped.

The footsteps below the city gate, voices, flickering firelight, smell of blood—all vanished.

Only the sound of heartbeats remained.

His, or hers.

Their bodies were also pressed together. He couldn’t distinguish whose heartbeat.

Xie Yanlai suddenly released her, wanting to retreat—

Behind him was the city wall. There was no retreat.

Hitting the city wall, he pitched forward again.

Chu Zhao caught him, pushing him back against the city wall.

“Are you… all right?” she asked in a trembling voice.

Not knowing if she’d been kissed badly, her voice was different from before—fragmented and broken.

What should he answer at a time like this? “Fine” or “not fine” both seemed wrong. Xie Yanlai said nothing.

“Should I call a physician?” Chu Zhao asked again, pressing closer to him, reaching up to touch his face, groping everywhere. “Where exactly are you injured?”

Xie Yanlai grabbed her hand, then held her tighter to prevent her from moving around.

“No need,” he said, then paused. “The injuries are serious, but I won’t die from not seeing a physician right now.”

Chu Zhao stopped talking, quietly letting him hold her.

But Xie Yanlai released her again and said: “You’ve entered the imperial city. Go handle things first.”

Chu Zhao’s voice seemed to hold a hint of laughter: “No need. Ding Dachui, Xiao Man and the others are all here. They’ve taken over city defense. Zhang Gu and the others are watching the capital garrison. Though there truly are many things to do—for this brief moment, if I don’t do them, the world won’t turn upside down.”

“Inside the palace,” Xie Yanlai also thought of something and said, “After I killed some people as a warning, that boy used imperial authority to stabilize everyone. Even if I’m not by his side, he’s surrounded by heavy guard.”

So there was no need to worry about Xiao Yu’s safety either.

Therefore, they could indulge in this brief moment of ease, continue embracing on this dim city wall, accompanied by corpses covering the ground.

Chu Zhao couldn’t help but laugh, leaning against his chest. Suddenly she asked: “Have you… kissed before?”

What was she saying? Xie Yanlai felt his ears burning.

“I haven’t,” Chu Zhao didn’t need his answer and continued, her voice somewhat strange, seemingly both joyful and sorrowful. “So this… is what it feels like.”

In that life, Xiao Xun had bedded her, but never kissed her face, much less lips and teeth.

She had thought that was all intimacy amounted to.

But it turned out—a kiss could bring such joy.

“A’Jiu.” She raised her head.

Xie Yanlai hummed in response, looking down to see the girl’s eyes bright and glistening.

“Bite me again,” she said softly.

Xie Yanlai was both angry and amused. Earlier he had lost composure and done such a thing. But shouldn’t something be said? How could she say nothing and just… ask for this again?

Now the thick night had lightened. Being so close, he could see clearly the girl’s small face, red lips. He had clearly just bitten them, bitten so fiercely—why weren’t they dried out? Instead, they seemed even more lush with moisture.

Forget it.

He called softly: “A’Fu.”

Then lowered his head and gently took her lips.