For once, Qin Chang Ge raised her eyebrows.

No matter how good one’s temperament, seeing this man in red clothes amid the chaotic nighttime forest, ghostly and bewitching, brazenly lying on one’s own remains while spouting nonsense, would be enough to anger one’s soul right out of its body.

But Qin Chang Ge merely raised her eyebrows.

Dead was dead, bones had rotted – let him molest as he pleased. If he wanted to embrace corpses and speak of love on this blood moon night, so be it.

Discussing morality and right and wrong with him, with Yu Zixi, was like discussing vegetarianism with jackals and tigers – pointless.

Others might not know, but didn’t she know him?

Famous throughout Xiliang, called Xiliang’s foremost beauty, a distinguished founding minister with outstanding military achievements, this dynasty’s only non-imperial surname prince – Yu Zixi. Outsiders only saw his endless honor and supreme glory, but she, Qin Chang Ge, had long known that the supposedly brilliant Prince Jing’an, who shone brightly enough to blind people’s eyes, was actually neither tranquil nor peaceful. He was just a narcissistic tyrant who often suffered from insomnia, whose blood would surge restlessly on blood moon nights, whereupon he would carry a lamp and wander about frightening people to death without compensation, then tell you it served you right – a pervert.

However, while she didn’t hold grudges against a certain someone, that certain someone might not be so forgiving of her.

“Hey, you,” the beautiful man’s liquid eyes flowed over – no words needed to be soul-stirring enough. “You’ve been standing there a long time. Tired? Come rest.”

He patted the white stone beneath him. His already half-open robes gaped further with this movement, revealing a glimpse of jade-colored chest, skin lustrous and infinitely alluring.

Qin Chang Ge didn’t blush at all. Smiling, she stepped out from behind the tree. She had initially wanted to pretend timidity and fear, but then thought better of it. In front of Yu Zixi, pretending would be useless, and besides, not just anyone could enter this forest.

Since she had appeared here, there was no reason to continue playing the fool.

Leisurely strolling to his side, Qin Chang Ge bent to examine the white stone seat and smiled: “This stone looks rather cold. You want me to lie on it? Take off your robe to cushion it for me. You’re wearing it for nothing anyway.”

Startled for a moment, Yu Zixi threw back his head and laughed softly. His smile unfolded mysteriously like udumbara flowers, his exquisite jaw and pure white forehead reflecting the distant moon’s radiance – it was impossible to tell which was more lustrous, more pearl-like, or perhaps he was simply one perfect piece of jade, glowing in the rippling shadows of his deep, water-like eyes.

“How rare, how rare… After so many years, there’s actually still someone who would molest me…” Yu Zixi laughed happily, though his eyes held some indefinable meaning. “When was the last time I was molested? That woman… hmph…”

Qin Chang Ge knew he was talking about herself. In all the world, the only one who dared not take his soul-stealing supreme charm seriously and boldly molest him back was naturally her, Qin Chang Ge.

“I really like you,” Yu Zixi smiled charmingly. “Come with me. I’ll treat you well – silk and brocade, gold, silver, pearls and jade, official positions for your family, generous rewards and high salaries. Just say the word and I’ll give you everything.”

Qin Chang Ge leaned forward slightly, lifting his beautiful chin with her finger as she smiled: “I really like you too. You come with me – Buddhist lamps and ancient Buddhas, rice and vegetarian dishes, stars in the sky, wooden fish on the ground, everything you could want. I don’t even need you to ask – I’ll give you everything.”

“I can also give you a status you can’t give me,” Qin Chang Ge smiled, gently stroking that skin smoother than silk with her fingertip. “We’ll serve Buddha together. See how fated we are?”

Smiling faintly, Qin Chang Ge waited for this demon to change color.

“Oh?” The fox demon had greatly advanced his skills in recent years. Without even blinking, instead of retreating he advanced, pulling Qin Chang Ge’s hand. “You’re from Shanglin Convent? A palace maid brought by the Grand Princess? I heard the Princess took great care in selecting palace maids capable of quiet meditation. I see she really chose correctly this time – you truly never forget Buddha… Come, come, since we’re so fated, why don’t we use the sky as our canopy and earth as our mat, borrowing this beautiful moonlit night to practice the blissful meditation together?”

He smiled as he began undressing Qin Chang Ge, even managing to blush at just the right moment.

Qin Chang Ge greatly admired how this fellow had cultivated his skills to perfection in the years since she’d seen him. What “blissful meditation” – wasn’t he just trying to find out why she had snuck into the forest at night? Wasn’t he just trying to feel out what she had hidden in her robes? If I let you feel it out, would I still be Qin Chang Ge?

Dodging slightly, Qin Chang Ge looked down at her feet and smiled: “Don’t be hasty…”

Yu Zixi tilted his head and smiled: “What, you don’t fancy me?”

Qin Chang Ge smiled and shook her head: “A man like you – what woman under heaven wouldn’t want to make love with you? But here?”

“Yes?” Yu Zixi blinked innocently, as if all the starlight had been blinked into his eyes, then extinguished by the ripples within them. “Quiet and beautiful, flat and clean – isn’t it good?”

“Good,” Qin Chang Ge smiled sweetly, stamping her foot on the stone platform. “But there’s a dead person buried underneath, right? If you and I make love on top of a corpse… what if we anger them and they crawl up to demand your life?”

For just an instant, Qin Chang Ge was certain she saw a trace of confusion and darkness flash through the rippling light in his eyes, like a bird’s wing passing over the glimmering surface of an abyss, tracing a beautiful mark before vanishing without a trace.

Gently releasing her hand, Yu Zixi giggled softly, his voice hushed: “Then I’ll come find you tomorrow. You must wait for me…”

“Mmm…” Qin Chang Ge’s voice was even more tender than his. “You must come, don’t break your promise…”

The two gazed at each other and smiled, eyes sparkling, talking and laughing pleasantly – such warm feelings flowing like water.

After this round of maneuvering, seeing the sky’s color, Qin Chang Ge smiled slightly: “I need to go back. Remember to come find me.” Yu Zixi smiled and nodded, reclining motionlessly, watching her with a smile. Qin Chang Ge pouted coquettishly: “Oh my, when you look at me like that, I can’t even walk properly…”

“That’s easy to fix,” Yu Zixi smiled lazily. “A brocade handkerchief touched by a jade beauty’s hands – reward me with one to wipe the tears I’ll shed from not being able to bear our parting?”

Pursing her lips in a smile, Qin Chang Ge took out a brocade handkerchief and carefully tied it over his eyes, instructing: “Don’t take it off yourself, alright?”

Yu Zixi’s lips curved in a soul-stealing smile as he gently nodded.

Qin Chang Ge covered his eyes and her smile vanished.

Did he think that just because he was willing to be blindfolded, she would believe he couldn’t hear her footsteps?

She quickly plucked a wide, long leaf from a nearby tree.

Bringing it to her lips, she blew.

Yu Zixi gently caressed the handkerchief over his eyes, saying softly: “What are you blowing?”

Qin Chang Ge listened as subtle sounds gradually arose in the forest, masking her footsteps. Satisfied, she nodded, quietly retreating while laughing: “Singing you a mountain song…”

Yu Zixi’s smile deepened: “Your song is quite special – it actually attracts snakes and insects?”

Qin Chang Ge had already quickly completed her steps, calling from a distance: “How could ordinary vulgar tunes enter your ears? Do you like it?”

In the time it took to say one sentence, she had retreated much farther, already reaching the forest’s edge.

Suddenly she heard a long laugh.

Looking back.

A red shadow shot up into the sky, bewitchingly beautiful as a blooming poppy in mid-air. With one fluid turn like a dance move, he had reached the highest treetop.

The red-clothed figure sat quietly atop the tree, behind him a wheel of ghastly white, enormous moon. The gnarled tree branches were silhouetted against the moon like great black gashes violently carved by someone.

That mass of red shadow therefore appeared even more intense, like leaping flames.

Eerie and demonically beautiful.