The next day.

Everyone packed up, extinguished the campfire, and immediately set off.

The weather in September grew hotter and hotter, and with dust flying along the way!

It made everyone feel irritable and stifled.

Border regions were like this—when it was hot, you’d be roasted to death; when it was cold, you’d freeze to death.

That’s why these areas were so sparsely populated!

Ji Yunshu sat in the carriage already dizzy and lightheaded.

She had probably gotten heatstroke.

Jingrong stuffed a pill into her mouth and let her rest with her head pillowed on his lap.

He quickly took a damp towel and placed it on her forehead.

Extremely worried.

After taking the medicine, she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

When she woke up, it was already close to dusk.

Jingrong was not by her side.

She got out of the carriage and discovered she was now at a riverside.

In the distance, she saw Jingrong sitting on a large rock by the river, his gaze fixed on the gurgling water flowing before him.

Lost in thought!

And—

Those mischievous guards were actually bathing in the water!

Yes, bathing!

Like dumplings being dropped into water, they clustered together, enjoying themselves immensely.

Moreover, they were all stark naked.

After rushing along the road all day, they could finally soak in the cold water and relieve the heat from their bodies. It delighted them immensely—they wished they could drill deeper into the water.

Only these grown men acted like young ladies, from time to time scooping up water with their hands to splash at each other.

Making coquettish sounds.

They even played more and more intensely, until finally, by accident, water splashed onto Jingrong.

At that moment, the entire world fell silent!

Several bare-chested, bashful men stood frozen in the water, unable to react for a moment.

Jingrong’s face had already darkened!

He sat there like a statue!

Then he raised his sleeve to wipe away the water droplets from his face, his cold, severe eyes glaring fiercely at them.

Sending a chill down everyone’s spine.

Everyone rushed to the shore, putting on their clothes while saying: “Your Highness, it wasn’t me.”

“Not me either.”

“Definitely not me.”

“I was farthest from Your Highness.”

…

Like kicking a ball, passing the blame back and forth.

In any case, I’m not taking this blame.

Although Jingrong was angry in his heart, seeing them all flustered and anxious, he found them quite adorable.

So all his anger dissipated.

He only gave them one cold look!

In the distance, Ji Yunshu really had her doubts—were these guards really the ones who had gone through life and death with Jingrong?

Were they really the ones who had rolled through the point of a blade?

Loving to chat about gossip was one thing, but how had they also become so effeminate?

For Ji Yunshu, who often dressed as a man, this was absolutely intolerable.

But she couldn’t help laughing.

Suddenly—

A person appeared beside her.

That person leaned against the carriage, also looking at those guards, and squeezed out a sentence in a strange tone: “You, a woman, watching men bathe—aren’t you ashamed?”

Who else could it be?

Who else but Shi Ziran?

Ji Yunshu glanced at him and said calmly: “They’re only bare from the waist up. What’s wrong with looking?”

“Is this what a young lady should say?”

“I’m not a man!”

Pfft—

Shi Ziran nearly spat blood.

Ji Yunshu didn’t withdraw her gaze and continued watching those effeminate men.

The more she watched, the more interesting it became.

“Thump thump thump…” Shi Ziran tapped the carriage wall with his fingers and asked her: “Why don’t you go wash with them?”

This question…

She actually wanted to!

But seeing Shi Ziran’s expression, it seemed there was more to his words.

She asked directly: “Speak up. Have you discovered some good place?”

“Worthy of being Lord Ji—you guessed it.”

“Speak.”

Shi Ziran pointed with his hand toward a patch of woods in the distance, saying in a low voice: “There’s a hot spring pool over there, surrounded by large trees. Very secluded.”

He deliberately emphasized the words “very secluded.”

Ji Yunshu’s lips curved up, secretly delighted in her heart.

Shi Ziran crossed his arms and tilted his chin up slightly, saying: “Shouldn’t there be some reward?”

Oh!

This little devil!

Ji Yunshu: “What do you want?”

“Just paint a portrait of me so I can appreciate my own appearance.”

Bah!

Shameless.

Ji Yunshu smiled: “You should know I only paint portraits for the dead.”

Uh!

Shi Ziran’s face turned pale—he had forgotten about that!

He swallowed hard.

Waving his hand, he said: “Forget it. Consider it me selling you a favor.”

He patted his rear and walked away.

Ji Yunshu couldn’t help but smile. Her grinning, secretly pleased expression was just caught by Jingrong’s eye.

He flicked his sleeve and walked over, glancing at Shi Ziran who had already walked to the riverside to skip stones.

He asked her: “What did that kid tell you?”

She was also frank: “Ziran told me there’s a hot spring pool in that patch of woods over there.”

“Oh.” He understood. “Then once it gets dark, we’ll go wash together.”

Wait—

Wash together?

Ji Yunshu was somewhat speechless.

Jingrong tugged at his clothes and said: “I haven’t washed either. Washing together—what’s wrong with that?”

“…”

After the sky gradually darkened—

The two went to that patch of woods and found the hot spring pool Shi Ziran had mentioned.

Bathed in the night’s glow, the entire hot spring pool emitted white mist.

Like a fairyland.

She had thought Jingrong really meant to wash with her.

Unexpectedly—

“I’ll keep watch here. If anything happens, call out loudly.”

“Didn’t you say we’d wash together?” As soon as these words left her mouth, Ji Yunshu regretted them.

Jingrong’s lips curved up, a wicked gleam rising in his eyes. “If you want to… play like mandarin ducks in the water with me, that would naturally be wonderful.”

“I…”

Her face instantly flushed red, reflected in the moonlight like a bright red apple.

Making one’s mouth water—wanting to take a bite.

Jingrong’s eyes were full of adoration as he smiled: “Never mind, I won’t tease you anymore. It’s not that I don’t want to wash with you, it’s just that it’s so late and I’m worried there might be wolves in the area. It’s better if I keep watch here. You can wash with peace of mind.”

Phew…

She inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.

Jingrong also walked to a large rock beside the hot spring pool to stand guard, turning his back.

She simply removed her outer garments and went in.

Her long hair cascaded down, rippling in the water.

Reflected in the moonlight, one could vaguely see several whip scars on her back.

Those were struck down whip by whip by her own father.

They also constantly reminded her of her past.

The warm water lapped at her body, opening almost every pore—it was extremely comfortable.

She occasionally glanced toward that large rock. As long as she could see the back of Jingrong’s head, her heart felt much more at ease.

Suddenly—

A sharp blade from behind came forward and was placed against her neck.

At the same time, a hand covered her mouth.

“Mmm mmm mmm…”

The person behind her held her firmly restrained!

“Don’t move!”

A man’s magnetic and deep voice rang in her ear.

Ji Yunshu’s eyes widened as she looked at Jingrong in the distance, urgently hoping he would turn around and look.

Behind her, the man’s face was also completely hidden in the darkness. He raised his hand and struck heavily at Ji Yunshu’s neck.

She immediately passed out.

And by the time Jingrong sensed something was wrong and turned to look, Ji Yunshu had already disappeared without a trace.