Deng Ying propped himself up on his elbow and slowly lay down.

Yang Wan asked him softly, “Where is the knot of your sweat towel?”

Deng Ying pressed his hand against Yang Wan’s, “Wan-wan…”

Yang Wan withdrew her hand and gently stroked Deng Ying’s face, leaning down to kiss his forehead. “It’s alright.”

She had already found the knot of the sweat towel but didn’t immediately untie it. Lowering her head, she said softly, “Deng Ying, I don’t really know how you feel, and perhaps you’re not willing to tell me, so I can only try based on my intuition. If anything makes you uncomfortable, just tell me to stop, alright?”

After hearing this, Deng Ying nodded dazedly after a long moment.

Only then did Yang Wan untie the sweat towel at Deng Ying’s waist.

His undergarments, now free from restraint, immediately loosened.

Yang Wan’s hands were cooler than his body temperature below, coolly caressing Deng Ying’s waist and abdomen, slowly moving toward his thighs.

Deng Ying’s body instantly tensed.

“Relax, Deng Ying, or you’ll be uncomfortable later.”

“Wan-wan…”

“What is it?”

“That place is dirty…”

The word “dirty” only made it halfway out before Yang Wan’s lips sealed his mouth.

Her hand didn’t move randomly, just resting quietly over Deng Ying’s lower body until he calmed down, then gently beginning to squeeze.

“Deng Ying, intimacy is like this for everyone. There’s nothing dirty about it. It’s just usually protected by clothing, and now it’s merely shy.”

She smiled as she spoke, “Without clothes, we’re all the same.”

Without clothes, they were all the same.

Deng Ying didn’t understand that this statement contained the understanding of sexuality and humanity from someone who lived in the twenty-first century and worked in humanities research. Yang Wan had no intention of explaining to Deng Ying these concepts that had taken over six hundred years to develop. She curved her fingers, gently pinching the small protrusion at Deng Ying’s lower body. That place remained because when he underwent his punishment, he was already an adult, and the executioner, considering his survival, had left him some margin.

Zheng Yuejia had protected him during the body inspection, sparing him from further mutilation, and so over the years, some sensation had gradually returned there, enough to feel Yang Wan’s touch.

Yang Wan noticed Deng Ying’s ears gradually turning red, confirming she hadn’t made a mistake.

Regarding methods of intimacy with someone like Deng Ying, historical records were unclear. The Qing dynasty notes “Langji Congtan” stated: “When eunuchs are with women, they prefer caressing and oral stimulation, becoming tense for a time until sweating occurs, then stopping. This is because their desire is fully released at this point, though in an altered way.”

The phrase “caressing and oral stimulation, becoming tense until sweating occurs” probably meant that those who had undergone palace castration could still experience pleasure, though not like ordinary people – when they became hot and sweaty, they had reached their limit. But just like the name of these notes – “Langji Congtan” – it sounded like something a frivolous scholar had made up to satisfy people’s curiosity, completely lacking in rigor.

Yang Wan deeply feared being deceived by these texts and inadvertently hurting Deng Ying. Fortunately.

He didn’t seem uncomfortable; his body was gradually relaxing.

Only then did she dare to tell Deng Ying, “Lift your waist a bit, my wrist is getting cramped.”

The person beneath her could no longer speak but still obediently raised his waist.

Yang Wan pulled his undergarments down to his knees; the silk material was so slippery it immediately slid to his ankles. He finally exposed his lower body completely – this was the first time since his castration that he faced his own body in front of another person.

Back then on the execution platform, Deng Ying had used decades of cultivation and willpower to face that humiliating punishment. Though fearful inside, he hadn’t been flustered. But at this moment, his mind was almost completely blank, yet he didn’t want to use any willpower to suppress his agitation. In this state of confusion, he felt the warm pleasure in his lower body, a sensation unrelated to scholarly cultivation or eunuch consciousness, enough to temporarily make one forget their identity.

“Deng Ying.”

“…”

“I want to hear your voice.”

“Wan-wan…”

He couldn’t speak at all, could only call Yang Wan’s name.

Yang Wan looked down at him, “Deng Ying, I hope because of me, you can forgive yourself. Even if not now, you must forgive yourself in the future and live peacefully… Deng Ying, I love you very much…”

In the deep night, the rain poured heavily, and her final words were spoken so softly that Deng Ying didn’t hear them.

Later, he slept deeply, like a warm piece of jade, lying motionless beside Yang Wan.

Yang Wan secretly got up in the night, cleaned herself with the cooled water, and applied medicine.

The rain thundered on the roof as Yang Wan looked at Deng Ying on the bed, remembering her descriptions of him in “The Biography of Deng Ying,” all about his political attitudes and national ideologies. Without historical materials for support, Yang Wan had never touched upon his “desires.” So while tens of thousands of words could describe his life, they couldn’t capture the process of his spiritual wounds healing.

Yang Wan thought about this as she walked to the lamp, took out her notebook, and opened it on the desk.

From the twelfth to the fourteenth year of Zhenning, her writing style changed from rigidly cold to occasionally losing control.

This process wasn’t healing for her, but rather further fragmentation.

Fortunately, there was Deng Ying, like good medicine, helping her constantly recover, turning from external to internal observation.

She stroked the ink marks in her notebook while glancing at the person on the bed, whispering to herself:

“I’m trapped here and unwilling to give up, partly from fear of death, but mostly because of you…”

The person on the bed’s fingers twitched slightly, his eyelids fluttering.

The next day, Deng Ying woke earlier than Yang Wan.

He sat on the edge of the bed to put on his shoes, then pushed open the door to enter the courtyard.

The rain hadn’t stopped. Qin Wende was waiting at the courtyard gate with the Eastern Depot guards, holding umbrellas. A large array of brown-yellow paper umbrellas was neatly arranged, and passersby, seeing the sabers at these men’s waists, avoided them like ghosts. Qin Wende came forward with an umbrella, saying, “Superintendent, our men are assembled. Shall we go now?”

Deng Ying glanced at the crowd behind him, “We don’t need so many people, ten or so will suffice.”

Qin Wende turned back, “Keep ten men, the rest return to the outer depot office and await orders.”

Then he hesitantly called out, “Superintendent.”

“Hmm?”

“This subordinate feels that perhaps we’re being too humble. After all, we’re investigating a minister’s crimes. When we arrested him, we were already polite about it. Once we reach the depot prison, surely we shouldn’t still be serving him?”

Deng Ying smiled slightly, “I won’t make you do that.”

Qin Wende said, “This subordinate worry you won’t be able to continue the investigation later.”

Deng Ying lowered his eyes, only responding, “Don’t worry, let’s go first.”

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard Yang Wan’s voice from behind.

“Deng Ying.”

Deng Ying was startled, but there wasn’t time to dismiss Qin Wende.

Qin Wende, seeing Yang Wan come out in her outer robes, was also startled, “Miss… Miss Wan.”

He bowed, and the depot guards behind him all bowed in unison. Yang Wan was startled by this display and unconsciously hid behind Deng Ying.

“Commander Qin, give me your umbrella.”

“Ah? Oh… yes, yes, yes…”

He hurriedly handed the umbrella to Deng Ying.

Deng Ying sheltered Yang Wan under the umbrella and gestured for Qin Wende and the others to step back.

“I left the palace entry token under the pillow. Remember to take it when you return to the palace. It’s still early, you can sleep a bit more.”

Yang Wan shook her head, “I won’t sleep anymore. I want to go look at Qingbo Hall later, then head back.”

“Alright.”

Deng Ying turned to look at Qin Wende, “Commander Qin.”

Qin Wende was still in a daze until someone poked him from behind, and he finally realized Deng Ying was calling him.

“Your subordinate is here…”

Deng Ying hesitated, “Do you have any money on you?”

“Ah?”

“You…”

“Oh, yes! Yes, yes, yes!”

He quickly untied the money pouch from his waist and handed it to Deng Ying.

Deng Ying took it and gave it to Yang Wan, “I can’t accompany you shopping, but take this and buy whatever you like. You can also buy some food for His Highness from the East Gate Market.”

Yang Wan originally wanted to say she had money, but seeing Deng Ying’s slightly reddened ears, she smiled and accepted it.

“Alright.”

“I’ll have two centurions follow you from a distance, but you should still be careful.”

Yang Wan nodded, “I know, go do your work.”

After speaking, she peered out from behind Deng Ying and said to Qin Wende, “Commander Qin.”

Qin Wende, who had just been cleaned out of money by his superior, was still processing, “What instructions does Miss Wan have?”

Yang Wan smiled, “Take good care of your Superintendent. His hands and feet have only recently started healing.”

“Your subordinates understand.”

Only then did Yang Wan take the umbrella, patting Deng Ying’s shoulder, “You must promise me, no matter what you hear at the Bai residence, don’t take it to heart? If you’re unhappy, come find us at Chenqian Palace. Today is also His Highness’s medicine day.”

Deng Ying nodded.

Yang Wan stood at the courtyard gate watching Deng Ying climb into the carriage, then looked down at the money in her hand, unable to help smiling until her eyes curved.

Qin Wende rode his horse beside Deng Ying’s carriage and said to him, “Superintendent, is Miss Wan satisfied with this residence?”

Deng Ying didn’t respond, but Qin Wende persisted, “Should we have our men add anything else?”

“How much money was in your pouch?”

“Oh, showing respect to Miss Wan is only right.”

“I asked you how much.”

“Not much, less than two taels of silver in total.”

“Mm.”

Deng Ying acknowledged, “Come to the inner depot office tomorrow, I’ll give you both the food allowance and today’s two taels of silver.”

After hearing this, Qin Wende sighed, “Superintendent, the way you handle matters, we’re worried you’ll be taken advantage of. You don’t know what it’s like outside today – we’re going to arrest a minister, and the streets are full of slander. Besides Qingbo Hall, places like Kuanqin Hall and Yaibai Hall have printed thousands of copies of those Donglin Party writings, cursing you…”

He couldn’t continue, spitting from his horse in disgust.

“The brothers below couldn’t stand it anymore. Since you forbade harming people, yesterday they just took the shopkeeper of Kuanqin Hall to the depot prison and gave him a stern warning.”

Deng Ying said quietly, “Take the money and release him.”

Qin Wende raised his voice, “Kuanqin Hall brought quite a sum to ransom him, but our men didn’t take it. This isn’t about money – we just couldn’t swallow this insult. However, early this morning before we came, Kuanqin Hall’s people came to say they won’t be printing private documents these few days, claiming they’re out of ink. I asked around, and they said Qingbo Hall’s people seemed to have bought up all the recent batches of printing ink. Superintendent, now I… somewhat understand why Miss Wan insisted on buying Qingbo Hall. I must say… Miss Wan knows how to think ahead.”