At these words, Gong Yin trembled.

In a trance, it seemed like their first meeting again—at Fenglai Qi, on the carriage where she had abducted him, that smiling woman whose face bloomed with spring. Initially, she had called him just like this in her strange and quirky way.

He remembered how he had been full of disgust then, disliking her brazen flirtatiousness and her wandering hands. But somehow, those laughing scoldings and playful curses had remained clearly imprinted on his heart. He remembered her taking off those strange shoes to bang on the carriage roof, remembered when she first saw his face and said, “Handsome, I think I’ve fallen in love with you. Will you be my royal consort?”

Some words you think you’ve forgotten are actually deeply remembered. Some words you’ve always waited for, yet didn’t dare listen to.

He gazed at her eyes, light flowing and flames blazing, with a cold self reflected and burning within.

His heart sighed softly, at this moment only grateful that he had changed to a wig after going out.

Jing Hengbo also gazed at him, but truly couldn’t read his thoughts. After looking for a while, she stopped trying to figure him out. A year of long separation, suffering through lovesickness, finally reaching this moment where only through acting shamelessly could she see him once—she didn’t want to say anything, wishing she could swallow him whole with her gaze.

“Why won’t you answer me?” She patted his cheek with the dagger.

Gong Yin was quiet for a moment, then replied: “What do you think?”

Jing Hengbo almost smiled. This was truly Gong Yin’s style—seeming to answer while actually saying nothing, open to any interpretation, cold and cunning.

She had been waiting for exactly this response.

“I don’t know either.” She frowned. “In Di Ge, I encountered a very powerful woman and took a palm strike from her. After the injury healed, I always felt I’d forgotten something important. I asked people around me, but everyone’s attitude was strange—they seemed to know something yet were unwilling to remind me. I grew tired of Di Ge and left to seek answers. Someone gave me a pearl, saying with this pearl I might find the person missing from my memory.” She shrugged, saying lightly, “Unfortunately, I lost the pearl last night.”

Gong Yin’s brow furrowed slightly. Xu Pingran? Xu Pingran had acted against her? By all accounts, with Pei Shu, Ying Bai, Yelu Qi, and Qi Sha all present, Xu Pingran should never have been able to touch her. Otherwise, how would he have dared lure Xu Pingran toward Di Ge?

Fog of doubt spread in his heart, but his inescapable concern for her still made him overthink. After all, when descending the snow mountain, he had severed connections with the Bee Sting Spider Web to disappear completely. This past year and more, he had struggled on the line between life and death, unconscious most of the time while his clansmen took him everywhere seeking medicine pools and cures. Only recently had he appeared in the mortal world again. Regarding her affairs, there was nearly a year’s gap in his information.

But lost memory… He glanced at Jing Hengbo. Her Majesty the Queen, after more than a year, had grown even more alluring and mature. Once no longer bitter and resentful, her flowing eyes immediately sparkled with charm. If before she had been a beautiful woman, now she was a beautiful fox.

The fox was using the same posture and expression as their first meeting, riding on him and looking down. He remembered she had been like this from the start—interested in handsome men of all kinds, half-teasing and half-innocent, until she fell for him and lost interest in flirting with other men.

Somehow, seeing her return to her original appearance now made his heart feel slightly oppressed.

The fox was still grinding against him on top. Her sitting position was already precarious, and she kept lowering her body. She never bothered to button her collar properly, and this posture was enough to let him see the snowy slopes on both sides and a line of white valley…

She knelt astride him, her legs powerfully clamping his legs. Heaven knew why she was using such force—so much that he was already having trouble thinking, completely worried he might suddenly exert force himself…

In the darkness, someone’s breathing seemed to be getting tight…

For that instant, staring at his deepening gaze and feeling his body heating up, Jing Hengbo regretted her decision.

Why had she impulsively pretended to have amnesia? The opportunity was rare—she should have stripped his clothes and done what needed doing. If she got lucky and ended up with a baby, would he dare abandon even his own son?

But thinking again, maybe he really wouldn’t want it…

Also, given his current condition, “climb on top and move yourself” would definitely crush his self-esteem badly. That would be no different from raping him. For the sake of their long-term future, she should… endure it.

She closed her eyes like a warrior cutting off his own arm, struggling painfully with her restraint.

Gong Yin stared at this woman’s expression—why did she suddenly look so pained? So pained that she was clenching her legs?

…

Jing Hengbo took a breath, waiting for the heat wave in her body to pass, then said lazily: “Why am I telling you all this? Regardless, you and I are now enemies. You’re my hostage.”

She didn’t dare say more—the more she spoke, the more mistakes she’d make. By suddenly turning hostile and pretending amnesia, she had made him suspicious and sparked his investigative interest, which was how she’d managed to keep him. If she continued and exposed herself, he’d flee again.

The dagger remained tightly pressed to his neck as she shouted to those outside: “Go call Yu Guangting! Let me leave, or I’ll kill this man!”

Gong Yin was stunned again. Tonight’s Jing Hengbo truly kept surprising him.

He didn’t believe her amnesia—the supposed memory loss was just an excuse to keep him. But having gone through so much trouble to find him, given her nature, she would surely refuse to leave no matter what. So now how could she…

The door opened. That young woman and Nan Jin stood puzzledly at the entrance, unable to understand this performance either.

Gong Yin suddenly smiled slightly and said: “Chunshui, pay no attention.” After speaking, he closed his eyes with a “kill me if you want” attitude.

Without a word, Jing Hengbo raised the dagger and stabbed down fiercely—

“Stop!”

The dagger halted one inch from Gong Yin’s throat. Gong Yin’s expression didn’t change, but Jing Hengbo broke out in a cold sweat.

Though this dagger could fold open and fold closed, she wasn’t completely confident she could retract it in time.

But seeing the young woman’s concerned expression for Gong Yin, this gamble had paid off.

She wasn’t just betting on the young woman’s reaction, but also on how much Gong Yin believed her “amnesia.”

Indeed, Gong Yin opened his eyes to look at her, his gaze deep with three more parts scrutiny.

That strike just now—everyone could see she hadn’t held back on force.

The young woman said: “My master is just a guest scholar to the Regent Prince. The Regent Prince won’t release you for his sake.”

“Who are you fooling?” Jing Hengbo laughed. “A guest scholar’s maid can subdue me? A guest scholar gets the Regent Prince to ignore all those guards and have him watch over me instead? If the Regent Prince’s guest scholars are all like this, he shouldn’t be Yu Kingdom’s Regent Prince—he should be Dahuang’s Emperor.”

“Go!” she commanded. “Have Yu Guangting withdraw the guards, give me the antidote for the poison smoke, and don’t force me to kill!”

The young woman hesitated for a long while, bit her lip and retreated. Shortly after, hurried footsteps sounded as Yu Guangting entered the courtyard with several trusted guards. He should have heard the situation from the young woman on the way, and his usually composed face was somewhat livid.

Yu Guangting was indeed very angry. He knew these two’s capabilities and had confidently entrusted the Queen to them, never expecting such a mishap. But he couldn’t lose his temper—his hidden ailment still needed the other’s treatment, which concerned his very life.

The Queen couldn’t be released, but his own life couldn’t be ignored either. Through the door, he saw the Queen’s cold smile, her steady hand gesture, and her tilted head showing no intention to negotiate—only that she would have the final say. He couldn’t help grinding his teeth hatefully.

The young woman Chunshui glanced at him sideways and said quietly: “Your Highness, rest assured. As long as my master is here, anyone who escapes can naturally be recaptured for you.”

Chunshui’s expression was rather strange—capturing Jing Hengbo was actually to protect her, help her expel poison, then turn a blind eye and let her escape. Yu Guangting would be helpless afterward. This had been the master’s plan all along, though the final execution… was somewhat unexpected.

“The antidote!” Jing Hengbo’s tone was like ordering subordinates.

Yu Guangting suppressed his anger and waved his hand. A guard handed over a box. Jing Hengbo said without hesitation: “You test it first.”

Yu Guangting had to wave again, indicating the guard should cut off a piece of the pill to eat for her to see. Only after everything seemed fine did Jing Hengbo order the medicine thrown in. She took the medicine but never relaxed her hand, reaching out to grab Gong Yin’s collar and laughing coldly: “Trouble you to see me off!” Her figure flashed and vanished.

Yu Guangting looked at the empty room, then turned to look around, his face iron-blue. “Chase! We must intercept her before she contacts her army!”

A large group surged out like a tide, the sound of weapons and armor clashing echoing through Yelu Manor.

Chunshui and Nan Jin exchanged glances, both seeing deep confusion in the other’s eyes.

…

“Bang!” Jing Hengbo and Gong Yin’s feet hit solid ground. When landing, Jing Hengbo was unsteady and crashed head-first into Gong Yin’s back.

Gong Yin trembled.

Behind him, fragrant flesh and bone, full and soft like a soft cloud, suddenly pressed against his skin.

Her hair was always loosely arranged, with a few strands falling on his shoulder. He looked down and instinctively wanted to turn his head to smell her fragrance, then ordered himself to stop.

She was no longer just a fox—she was like a fox spirit, a newly awakened fox spirit.

Jing Hengbo looked truly unintentional, raising her hand to smooth her hair, her gaze flowing as she smiled: “Oh my, my skills are getting better—one flash and I’m directly outside the wall.”

Before them stretched a long perimeter wall, with a pond not far away where reed leaves were green.

Sounds of pursuit came from inside. They were clearly outside Yelu Manor’s walls now. The Yelu estate was outside the city with no nearby households—quite desolate at a glance, not conducive to escape.

“Now we can part ways,” Gong Yin said without looking at her, his gaze falling lightly on that patch of reeds.

Fire rose in Jing Hengbo’s heart—truly, every sentence required forgiving him a hundred times before they could continue talking!

She wanted to stab him with a knife and cut open this stubborn man’s heart to see clearly what complex mechanisms were inside. Did his calendar say “all things unfavorable to Jing Hengbo” every single day? So that in their three years of acquaintance, most of the time he was either hiding from her or avoiding her?

Was being with her so difficult?

Was enjoying life with her so difficult?

So what if he was paralyzed?

Was being paralyzed so impressive?

Was it damaging to his self-esteem?

She could be paralyzed too! Fake paralysis!

Two wheelchairs side by side—he walks while I ride!

Though fire raged in her heart, her face smiled brilliantly as if to burn people: “I discovered Yu Guangting really values you highly, so continue being my human shield!”

Footsteps of pursuers came from behind again. Jing Hengbo grabbed his hand and flashed away once more.

This time she controlled the frequency, each flash covering a moderate distance—letting pursuers unable to catch up immediately while not losing her trail entirely and giving up. Each time they landed, she deliberately stumbled or appeared unsteady, bumping and colliding with Gong Yin. After several such collisions, her heart grew heavier.

Gong Yin’s whole body truly couldn’t move. His torso was even more rigid than others’. Several times she felt him instinctively trying to steady her or avoid her, yet was powerless to do so. Such reflexive actions couldn’t be faked.

Why had he become like this? What exactly had happened during that time?

For a moment, she wanted to drag him to some deep mountain forest and interrogate him day and night until he was willing to speak, willing to accept her.

“Whoosh!” A sharp sound came from the sky. She looked up to see a line of deep red fireworks shooting straight up—Pei Shu’s signal to find and summon her.

Jing Hengbo sighed. She knew she couldn’t be willful about some things. With Pei Shu’s explosive temper, if she truly disappeared, he’d definitely fight Yu Kingdom to the death.

She had to head toward the escort team’s camp. They had now entered the wilderness outside the manor, and she could faintly see cavalry converging from three directions, forming a dark square with a gap—clearly Yu Guangting had brought many men and was determined to keep her here today.

After all, she was the Queen. Yu Guangting couldn’t bear responsibility for angering Di Ge’s three great armies. Having acted, he had to do it cleanly.

Three-directional encirclement, with the only gap being the reed pond ahead. The pond was quite large, with reeds tall as a person on all sides. Jing Hengbo estimated she’d have difficulty flashing across with someone in tow. Though there were probably sandbars in the center, the reeds currently blocked the view of the center, making it risky to flash blindly—she might end up in the water.

More importantly, Yu Guangting driving her there should have other preparations.

So the reed pond was off-limits.

She grinned, looking at the approaching three armies like a black cloth bag tightening, with the reed pond as the opening. The nearest army was close enough to see the dark gleam of soldiers’ arrows.

Her figure flashed toward… the reed pond.

Before reaching it, she already smelled thick fire oil.

Teleportation couldn’t change trajectory mid-air. The next second, she was above the reed pond, scanning to confirm there were indeed no sandbars.

The next second—”splash!”—she and Gong Yin fell into the water together.

The three approaching armies had reached the reed pond’s perimeter, occupying favorable positions and forming dense battle formations. The cavalry reached back for arrows, nocking them to bowstrings.

“Shoot!”

“Whoosh, whoosh!” Sharp sounds continued endlessly. Countless deep red trails slashed the sky. Fire arrows fell into the dense reeds, immediately exploding with a “poof!” A line of fire rolled forward with the wind, instantly surrounding the entire pond with fire dragons.

The cavalry sat woodenly on their horses watching from afar, their iron-dark faces slightly twisted in the firelight, looking fierce.

A large group of infantry ran up, dividing into countless small teams. Each team carried a small boat and long spears.

The reed beds had been doused with fire oil beforehand. In just moments, the reeds burned clean.

Throughout the entire burning process, the cavalry remained motionless with swords drawn and arrows nocked, ensuring that even if a fly emerged from the reeds, it would hit a dense forest of spear points.

Throughout the burning, the pond remained completely silent.

Yu Guangting had arrived and stood watching from afar, his expression cold.

Having dared to act against the Queen, he had naturally considered multiple consequences. The Queen was elusive, and he worried she might escape at any time. After handing her to his teacher last night, he had specifically toured the surrounding terrain with Yelu De, finally deciding to use the reed pond as the final location for eliminating the Queen.

If the Queen didn’t flee, so be it. If she did, this pond would be her final resting place.

Having come this far, he could only boldly continue. As for that crucial bone fragment that had leaked out, regardless of whose hands it was in, it wouldn’t escape the escort team and Pei Shu’s army’s range. After eliminating the Queen, he would quickly mobilize surrounding forces to annihilate both armies on the spot.

As long as he resolved everything before those princes discovered it, Yu Kingdom wouldn’t fall into chaos!

The fire gradually died down. From beginning to end, there was no movement from within the pond. This was exactly what Yu Guangting expected. He waved his hand, and soldiers who had been waiting at the pond’s edge with boats pushed them into the water.

Four men per group in each boat, using specially made iron-wrapped oars sharpened on both sides—suitable for rowing and killing.

Each boat had one standing soldier. These men had varying appearances but shared one trait: exceptionally bright eyes like eagles or torches.

They stared intently at the water surface, each person’s gaze covering a section of water, carefully searching for any suspicious movement.

People were seen entering the pond, and thousands watched—no one came out, so they must still be hiding underwater.

Yu Guangting’s smile grew deeper.

Reeds surrounded all sides, making it easy to find hollow reed stems. Did they think that by biting reed tubes to breathe, they could avoid detection?

His side always gathered elites: lightness skill masters, external martial arts experts, and specially selected soldiers with exceptional eyesight drawn from various scout and patrol units.

These men could see a mosquito flying ten zhang above the water. The moment the Queen surfaced for air, she would immediately face attack from everyone.

Dawn gradually broke, and Yu Guangting gradually stopped smiling.

Small boats had patrolled the water surface three times over.

So many soldiers had gone underwater that they covered the entire surface. Scout soldiers had strained their eyes red but found no trace—not even a bubble.

After those two entered the water under everyone’s watch, they seemed determined to stubbornly stay underwater forever.

Continuous reports of “search unsuccessful” made Yu Guangting lose patience. He said incredulously: “Impossible! For so long—would they rather suffocate to death? They must have breathing tools. Search carefully!”

“Your Highness,” a guard said with a bitter face, “all vegetation on the shore has been burned clean. The entire water surface is completely visible…”

Yu Guangting stood with an iron-blue face, silent. Burning the reeds served two purposes: forcing the Queen into water and depriving her of any cover. Now the water surface was clear and visible from end to end. If there really was a reed tube sticking out, it would be quite obvious. Not just with so many people watching—even standing on shore, he could see it.

The sun was about to rise. Under dawn’s light, the water surface sparkled without any foreign objects.

Iron oars had thoroughly scraped three feet below the surface, bringing up only a few fish without touching any human-like objects.

Yu Guangting was growing anxious. He feared this fire’s commotion would attract the escort army and Pei Shu’s forces. Fighting the world-famous wilderness warfare expert Pei Shu in this desolate place, he had no confidence.

The more anxious he became, the more problems arose. His personal attendant rode up urgently and whispered in his ear. Yu Guangting listened, his facial muscles involuntarily twitching.

He looked grimly around and reluctantly shouted: “Leave three hundred to continue searching! The rest follow me back to Linzhou!”

The large force galloped away, dust clouds slowly settling on the plain.

With the master gone, subordinates naturally slacked off. Soldiers who had searched for hours shouted to their leaders: “Captain! Really can’t row anymore!”

“These oars are too heavy—row more and we’ll fall in the water!”

“Everything’s visible on this surface. Why don’t we just stand guard by the water? All crowded on the water, if someone flies out, rowing boats would be too slow to chase!”

“Come on, flying out? After so long, they’re long dead! Does His Highness want us to fish out the corpses?”

The deputy general commanding these three hundred men sighed and waved: “All withdraw! Just keep good watch from the shore.”

Everyone rejoiced, returning their boats to shore. Those iron oars were too heavy and exhausting for the arms. Once ashore, soldiers sat down heavily, some resting, some rubbing their shoulders. No one was interested in staring at that water surface that showed nothing and had already strained their eyes.

On the pond’s western side, near the riverbank, faint ripples of light flickered.

But with the morning sun rising and the river surface dancing with light, this slight flickering would be undetectable even by someone with the best eyesight standing right at the water’s surface.

Following that light downward through clear water layers, two snow-white tubes could be seen extending straight to the bottom.

At the bottom, at the tubes’ ends, were naturally Jing Hengbo and Gong Yin.

The method was the same, just using misdirection.

As soon as they fell into water, Jing Hengbo used distant object manipulation to break off two reed stems.

Just as she was about to insert them for breathing, Gong Yin flicked his fingers, and both reeds instantly covered with frost. The frost didn’t dissolve in water but accumulated thicker, becoming two ice tubes.

Ice tubes in water would never be spotted.

Jing Hengbo kept gripping Gong Yin’s wrist, appearing to hold his pulse point but actually knowing this guy could only move his hands now—grabbing his hand meant he couldn’t escape.

Of course, if he used true force to shake her off, it would be a matter of seconds. The question was: would he bear to?

Around Jing Hengbo’s neck was tied something white that swayed gracefully in the water. A closer look revealed it was a white sash.

To prevent Gong Yin from using any strip-like object to escape, as soon as Jing Hengbo hit water, she had pulled off his sash and hung it around her own neck.

So now Gong Yin’s long robe was opened by the current. He had been wearing loose clothing after bathing, held together entirely by the sash. Without the sash and in flowing water, Queen Jing’s eyes were thoroughly satisfied.

Water flow lifted his robe’s front, and Jing Hengbo had already measured his vital statistics with her eyes. While expressing satisfaction, she also marveled that his skin seemed to be growing even whiter.

Sunlight penetrating the water illuminated this area crystal-bright and dazzling. He appeared even more pristine and translucent, further enhanced by his tightly sculpted lines—like a carved jade statue.

Yet with his clothing flowing wide, he had the bearing of drifting clouds.

The light was dazzling, making Jing Hengbo squint, but she refused to give up examining him closely.

This heartless, damned wretch never willingly faced her completely and peacefully. To feast her eyes on his beauty, she had to use all her cunning. Finally managing to temporarily tie him down, she couldn’t even properly interrogate him.

Her Majesty the Queen sighed inwardly at her bitter fate.

She watched the scenery he provided underwater, while that underwater man equally watched her as scenery.

Due to the lighting, the opposite Jing Hengbo appeared to Gong Yin as a relief sculpture of a court lady sunk in water’s shadows.

Pure white, bright and moist, with dark hair dancing like clouds. He could see her seemingly luminous full cheeks, her long, slightly curled lashes, her exceptionally red lotus-petal lips. Her always curvaceous figure, in the shifting light and floating water, suddenly gained layers and mystery. Those rises were coral islands, while hollows were beauty’s dimples…

His gaze seemed to look yet not look, but always enveloped her. Except for this sunlight and water flow, no one knew his heart was equally greedy.

Over a year of time, daily lovesickness penetrating his bones—wasn’t her face also his yearning? During unconsciousness, he sometimes had nightmares: seeing her laughing wildly while singing, seeing her weeping blood atop towers, seeing her under Di Ge’s tattered three banners, spreading her arms and looking up to heaven, then falling like a bird…

Waking abruptly from dreams, covered in cold sweat.

Seeing her again today, regardless of how much surprise and difficulty, he still felt—it’s wonderful.

In quiet flowing water, facing each other, both seeming not to look while filling their eyes with each other.

Gong Yin rarely let his mind wander, having to ponder Jing Hengbo’s strangeness today, so he didn’t notice that Jing Hengbo’s gaze was slowly moving upward.

She was watching those soldiers positioned not far from the riverbank, no longer sensing people moving about.

If her guess was right, these exhausted soldiers should have many lying down asleep.

Jing Hengbo waited a while longer, then reached out and suddenly pinched off Gong Yin’s ice reed tube.

For the third time today, Gong Yin was shocked wide-eyed by her…

Jing Hengbo gave him a sly smile and made a “die” gesture, very satisfied to discover her great god’s brain had truly fallen into chaos this time.

People in oxygen-deprived states always lose thinking ability.

And as she expected, without breathing tools, Gong Yin didn’t rush to the surface. At any time, he put her safety first, even if he seemed about to be suffocated to death by her.

He looked quietly at her, but his face gradually reddened, then slowly turned blue.

Masters had long-lasting breath, but couldn’t hold out much longer.

Jing Hengbo watched him with a smile, wearing a determined expression of “this old lady is going to eliminate you, traitorous advisor, underwater.”

But her fingers secretly dug into her palm, exerting force, then more force.

She had to use all her strength to persist in preventing herself from feeling heartache, from immediately taking him out of the water, from wasting all her efforts.

Only by being ruthless could he possibly believe she truly had amnesia. Only then could she keep him by her side. Only then could she do what she wanted to do.

Gritting her teeth while smiling, she watched him silently struggle in water. His struggle was also her struggle, as if wild water dragons repeatedly twisted through her heart, causing excruciating suffocation.

She watched his face gradually turn ashen, his body slowly soften.

People in suffocating conditions instinctively struggle for survival, yet he never moved, didn’t even disturb a ripple.

Defying physiological laws—she didn’t know how he managed it.

The man quiet as flowing water had always been willing to die silently for her.

She stared wide-eyed, grateful that underwater, no one could see tears streaming down.

Gong Yin, Gong Yin, tell me—why must our love be so cruel?

Watching helplessly as his flushed face turned pale, his body suddenly arching backward.

Martial artists’ physiological protection would make them faint in critical situations.

Right now!

Jing Hengbo embraced him tightly, her form flashing. With a “splash” of water, they had reached the shore.

The shore indeed had soldiers lying everywhere. Hearing the water sound, some opened their eyes while others still slept deeply. Those who opened their eyes only caught a flash of water light, vaguely seeming to contain embracing figures that vanished instantly. The soldiers stared up blankly, touching water droplets that had splashed their faces.

After a long while, someone finally reacted and shouted: “Someone rushed out of the river and escaped!”

Soldiers hastily jumped up, grabbed weapons and looked around, but the empty wilderness was silent with lonely wind wandering—where were any human figures?

…

Near the escort team’s camp was a pine grove—sparse trees scattered along a small hillside.

A figure suddenly appeared in the pine grove, water pooling on the ground.

Jing Hengbo set down Gong Yin and checked his breathing. Fortunately, he was fine.

She had calculated the timing, bringing him out of water at the critical moment. His body’s self-protection would continue for a while.

During this time, she could do one more thing.

Jing Hengbo knelt beside him, staring at his exceptionally pale face under wet, dark hair, contemplating for a long while before smiling coldly.