Suzhen had always known Lian Yu was good at advancing by retreating, but this time, being personally involved, she forgot.

Seeing how quickly she agreed, Lian Yu’s eyes quietly flashed with amusement. When things reach an extreme, they reverse—that day he had pressed her just right, and tonight with one step back, she stepped forward.

Just like haggling over goods—merchants often set prices high, then with a slight reduction, buyers happily close the deal. Originally, the merchant only wanted this profit anyway. Of course, this doesn’t always work, but occasionally doing so is not impossible.

Now wasn’t this a good phenomenon? What he wanted was her willingness! Besides, he still needed to root out the mysterious people behind her. As for how to deal with her, that was a matter for later.

Unless she truly betrayed him—otherwise, he was determined to have her.

Suzhen’s eyes lit up: “So you’re saying you won’t confine me? I can return to the Ministry of Justice?”

“Yes, but you must wait until the imperial physicians diagnose that your injuries are mostly healed before you can leave.”

Suzhen felt this person’s voice had never been so beautiful. The great stone in her heart dropped, and she felt this Ninth Master had really chosen a place with good mountains and waters. Thinking that in another three to five days her injuries would gradually heal, she said in the most serious tone: “Your subject obeys the command and thanks Your Majesty for this great favor.”

When he was good to her, she unconsciously reverted to the Stone era and wasn’t so formal anymore.

Then she pulled the quilt over her head and went to sleep.

After closing her eyes, she felt something was wrong. The head of the bed still felt like dark clouds pressing down. She threw off the quilt and got up, indeed seeing Lian Yu still sitting at the head of the bed. She had a bad feeling and frowned: “Why aren’t you returning to the palace to rest? You have morning court tomorrow.”

Lian Yu’s lips curved as he reached out to touch her hair: “The return journey takes a long time. I’m tired and will rest here.”

Hearing this, Suzhen’s heart tightened with cold sweat: “Here—meaning where exactly?”

Lian Yu patted the bed and smiled at her.

Suzhen bounced up entirely, staring at him wide-eyed and angrily: “Didn’t you promise me? A gentleman’s word!”

“I said I wouldn’t share fish-and-water pleasure with you first, but I didn’t say I wouldn’t sleep here. Besides, sharing a bed is one way to increase feelings, isn’t it? You and I once lived in a cave together for a period—that’s how we developed today’s relationship.”

Suzhen was immediately dumbfounded. She slapped the bed, glaring at him angrily, then heard Lian Yu ask with a smile: “Oh right, Li Huaisu, I’ve thought of the second condition.”

She said irritably: “Spit it out quickly.”

“If I propose something to you and you agree, you cannot go back on your word.”

Suzhen rolled her eyes at him: “No deal.”

“If you agree to this condition, I’ll leave this bed.”

Lian Yu lowered his head close to her face, his breath gently hitting her face.

Suzhen’s face heated up. If she could avoid sharing a bed, even if he remained in this room, wouldn’t that be much better than this situation? Sharing a bed—how were they supposed to sleep? She definitely couldn’t fall asleep.

Though she knew this person was full of bad ideas and definitely up to no good, she still nodded: “Fine!”

Lian Yu’s eyes smiled: “Excellent.”

How much could five years change a person? But Suzhen thought this person was truly different from five years ago.

Five years ago he was a cold, hard stone. Five years later, he had polished away all sharp edges, becoming sinuous. But it was precisely this suppleness that was frightening.

She hugged the quilt and retreated to the innermost part of the bed rail, warily watching this person. But she saw him pull the bed curtains, enclosing her inside the bed, then lightly clapped once.

Looking through the thin gauze, the door was also gently pushed open.

Xuanwu led two guards in. He held a neatly folded white cloth towel, while the two guards carried a large wooden tub with steam rising from the top and a clean white silk draped over the edge.

Xuanwu set down the bath towel and asked quietly: “Shall we attend to master’s bath?”

“No need. You may all withdraw. You needn’t stand guard either—call some guards from outside the courtyard to watch outside the room.”

Lian Yu said flatly. These guards were all personally trained by Xuanwu, all martial arts experts and his close iron guards.

“Yes.”

The guards respectfully bowed to Lian Yu, and Xuanwu led them out.

At this time, Lian Yu also pulled open the bed curtains and walked out.

He indeed kept his promise.

But Suzhen felt something was wrong. He… leaving the bed was to bathe?

She’d been calculated again! Her belly full of angry resentment had nowhere to vent.

Over there, Lian Yu was already undressing by the bed.

Suzhen saw his outer robe fall to the ground, her breathing tightened. But she saw him still smiling shamelessly at her. She clenched her fists, so angry her lungs were about to explode, thinking: If I can’t provoke you, can’t I hide?

She demonstratively shook the quilt at him and covered her head again.

“Come out and attend my bath.”

The low, mellow voice fell on the quilt like a soul-chasing demon.

Suzhen could bear no more. With so many people outside, he specifically called for her, an injured person, to wash him? She yanked off the quilt and roared at Lian Yu: “Your Majesty, your earlier conditions didn’t say your subject couldn’t refuse your demands.”

“That’s true,” Lian Yu’s amber eyes darkened, but he still smiled: “It’s just that it’s almost the first watch now. If I don’t bathe soon, I’m afraid I won’t make it back to the palace in time.”

“I allow you to object—you have the right to object. But I also have the right to wait for you to attend my bath. I’ll just wait here until you’re willing to act. Of course, if I miss morning court time, I’ll simply stay here until the day after tomorrow’s morning court.”

The words “day after tomorrow” terrified Suzhen. She’d been tricked again. She had just agreed to stay until her injuries healed before leaving. Wouldn’t this mean spending a whole day facing him in this room? This person’s talk of cultivating feelings was to get into her bed, and leaving the bed was to have her attend his bath. Better short pain than long pain—it was just bathing. She’d treat it like washing the neighbor’s yellow dog, Ah Huang. She crawled up, gritting her teeth: “Your subject is willing to serve Your Majesty.”