Mo Zi swallowed dryly, her body tilting slightly backward.

“Such a beautiful face. What a pity—you’re a man.” Eagle-like penetrating eyes held hazy mist. “Otherwise, you’d look exactly like her.”

Now Mo Zi became anxious. Her knee drove upward, aimed directly at Wu Yanle’s stomach.

Wu Yanle had already drunk too much, his stomach already uncomfortable. When she heavily struck him, he immediately released her and turned to vomit.

Mo Zi hastily ran off. Before long, she saw two people emerge from behind trees ahead. One wore a wealthy landowner’s robes, somewhat advanced in years but with a well-maintained physique.

“Master Teng, is the honored guest all right?” The other was dressed as a steward.

Teng Guo made an affirmative sound. “Drank too much. Perfect timing to enjoy a beauty’s favor—go make arrangements quickly.”

The two continued talking as they turned past an artificial rock formation.

Hearing this was truly Teng Guo, Mo Zi hurried to catch up. At that moment, however, a great commotion arose behind her.

“I saw her, saw A’Zi! Find her for me quickly! A man with a face as pretty as a woman’s. Right here in the garden. Close the garden gate—hurry!” Wu Yanle’s voice, still carrying drunkenness, had grown louder.

Terrible! Had vomiting sobered him somewhat? Urged by the chaotic footsteps, Mo Zi quickly turned behind the trees where Teng Guo had emerged, discovering an unlighted chamber. Her eyes darted around, then biting her lip she rushed inside, closing the door tightly and pressing her ear to listen.

“Who’s there?” A hoarse voice from within.

Mo Zi was mentally prepared and turned around. Soon adapting to the darkness, she saw the room had inner and outer sections separated by a pearl curtain, with the voice coming from behind it.

“My apologies.” After weighing her options repeatedly, she returned to her female voice. “You’re Master Teng’s guest, aren’t you? My father is also at tonight’s banquet. I dressed as a man to secretly follow Father in to observe, but didn’t expect to encounter a drunk in the garden who demanded I drink with him. He even had people close the garden gate to catch me. I just saw Master Teng from afar leaving here, but couldn’t catch up to him. I’m unfamiliar with this place—could you possibly let me hide for a bit?”

Behind the curtain, there was no response.

Mo Zi assumed the other party was unwilling. “I’ll only stay a moment. Once that drunk realizes he was too confused and mistook me for someone else, it should pass. I know you’ve also had quite a bit to drink and want peace—” She was gambling. Gambling that someone drunk in here wouldn’t be as dangerous as the drunk outside; gambling that for Master Teng’s sake, this person would at least turn a blind eye.

Odds of winning: fifty percent.

Backup plan: If it truly didn’t work, she’d fight her way out. At worst Wu Yanle would catch her and present her to his older brother. That would be her rotten luck.

Outside someone seemed to be speaking loudly, but inside the room she couldn’t hear clearly. If they couldn’t find her outside, what would Wu Yanle do? Search the rooms?! She paced back and forth. Waiting for no response from the person inside, she boldly walked in.

“Asleep?” The lamps in the winding corridor turned the rice paper yellow, by which she could see the inner room’s condition.

A dressing table. An arched-leg table. The most prominent was a large square bed with curtains drawn on three sides. On one side, hooks on both ends held layers of cloud-patterned silk. A person lay across the bed, covered by a silvery-pink quilt, back turned toward her. A pearl hairpin adorned the hair crown—clearly an extraordinary item that gleamed faintly even in darkness. Beneath that light, the hair was raven black. The person seemed not very old.

Wu Yanle’s voice suddenly rang out again, as if right outside. “Can’t find her? How is it possible you can’t find her? Search every room for me, especially the empty ones—search carefully.”

A woman spoke, seemingly Tianmei Pavilion’s madam, but her voice was too soft—probably pleading with Wu Yanle not to disturb the guests or something.

Hearing that fellow was indeed going to make a big scene, Mo Zi stamped her feet in anger. “Clearly drunk with blurry vision, yet now being so thorough.”

Could someone go help remind him: Hey, you’re drunk and confused? This crazy little fatty!

The person on the bed moved.

She immediately became alert, retreating two steps, surprised to discover the person was moving toward the inside of the bed. This way, the position where he’d been lying was now vacant.

“You weren’t asleep?” Then why pretend to be a mummy for so long?

“Miss talks so much.” The person’s voice was hoarse. “Since you want to hide, hurry and find a place. Under the bed, in the cabinet, anywhere will do. Just standing there, disturbing peaceful dreams, yet unwilling to leave—what exactly do you want to do?”

Under the bed?

At that moment, the light outside suddenly brightened—clearly someone was approaching.

Mo Zi thought no more. “Then pardon the intrusion—please help shield me.” She quickly walked to the bedside, lifted the silk bedsheet, bent down and dove in.

Her elbow was caught.

But her movement was too forceful—with a bang she hit her head, only then discovering this bed had no space underneath at all.

“Hehe… hehe…” The person who had caught her, though still a step too late, lay on the bed laughing softly. “Either too foolish to know where to hide, or charging like a bull—you… Miss’s personality is truly adorable.”

“You knew early on there was no space under the bed, yet still told me to crawl under?” What kind of person was this?

“Miss, please get on the bed.” Said so ambiguously, and the person’s hand still gripped her tightly.

“What?” Mo Zi, bent at the waist rubbing her head, was greatly shocked upon hearing this and immediately looked over.

But that person’s features were hidden in the enormous shadow of the silk curtains, and once the pearl on the hairpin lost its light source, it was immediately swallowed by shadow, not even illuminating the hair.

“If you don’t come up now and get caught by that drunk, don’t blame me for not helping you.” With a forceful pull, the stunned woman was hauled onto the bed.

“Hey!” She wanted to borrow the space, not the person! Both hands braced, about to flip herself off.

“Someone’s in this room.” The madam’s voice came faintly. “A distinguished guest of Master Teng of Tianmu Horse Ranch—I just sent a girl in to attend to him. There shouldn’t be anyone you’re looking for. Young Marquis…”

“Miss…” That person remained composed, body and hands motionless. “Being so intelligent, you should know this is the only way to escape your predicament.”

Mo Zi listened to the footsteps outside, her heartbeat growing faster. This person was right—a man and woman sharing a bed was the best way to deceive eyes inside a pleasure house. This time she couldn’t judge by appearance; she could only judge from voice. She’d have to gamble again.

“Fine, I’ll lie here, but you let go!” Mo Zi used her other hand to pull over the quilt. “Stay inside and don’t move. Otherwise, how are you different from that drunk?”

“That’s also Miss’s choice.” The person’s roguishness was infuriating. “Miss should take it as a lesson. When men drink too much, they’re all the same. The one outside and the one inside are equally dangerous. Young ladies, dressing as men isn’t frightening, but don’t follow your father—better to follow your husband.”

He could actually anticipate her thoughts? Beyond her renewed shock, Mo Zi detected something wrong in his words. “What lesson am I supposed to learn? Don’t tell me you intend to do something?” Her hand moved to her waist, but where was her sword?

“Miss needn’t search. I’m temporarily keeping it safe for you to avoid accidentally harming anyone’s life.” The man suddenly extended his left hand, pulling at her hair, and her tresses cascaded down like a waterfall.

“You—” She rose angrily.

Bang bang bang—someone knocked on the door.

That person’s voice dropped even lower. “Miss had better lie down. Without a convincing performance, how can we make people believe?”

Was she overly nervous and having delusions? That person’s hand was smooth in a way familiar to her, and the gesture of loosening her hair carried incomparable tenderness.

The person outside was calling to open the door.

That person made another unexpected move, actually rolling on top of her and beginning to undress.

Light suddenly illuminated him.

Black silk garments, jade-colored skin, eyes that saw through everything yet were dyed with rich ink, slightly cool yet always able to out-argue her, lips of perfect thickness and thinness, a nose bridge outlined in gold showing natural noble bearing.

“Yuan—” She couldn’t believe her eyes.

His already bare upper body slowly descended. Yuan Cheng’s gentle features overflowed with tender feelings, arms braced on either side of her. “Miss, I trouble you to remove my crown.”

Unable to think or speak, the increasingly urgent knocking outside not registering in her ears, she raised both hands high, withdrew the hairpin, and undid the jade crown.

In an instant, his hair and her hair tangled together.

Her smile was like crying!

He smiled slightly, yet sighed. “You, this young lady—how is it you cause trouble wherever you go? Such boldness, not even knowing who’s in the room before daring to ask for help. If this had been a villain who deceived you with a few words, wouldn’t you have fallen into his embrace? Really, I call you clever, yet you’re reckless to this extent—” Completely forgetting he was the one who had lured her.

The door was kicked open.

In the same instant, his sigh brushed against her powdered face. “Making me jealous for nothing—”

Their lips touched.

His breathing suddenly grew heavy. Though with outsiders present he had intended to stop at a mere touch, the instant of contact left him intoxicated by her fragrance.

Not powder fragrance, not floral fragrance, only wood fragrance, yet radiating the magnificence of the Mo Zi peony.

He suckled her lips until they were plump and soft and warm, as if honey could be extracted from them. Yet he wasn’t satisfied. Both hands held her tightly, his right hand caressing upward, pressing her head toward himself, wishing he could swallow even her breath.

Mo Zi was kissed so thoroughly there were no gaps. With difficulty remembering to breathe, she let out a sound that had never emerged before—the coquettish charm within it made her whole body burn hot.

An awkward coughing sound.

Yuan Cheng ignored it.

Since he ignored it, naturally he wouldn’t let Mo Zi have time to acknowledge it either.

Another embarrassed coughing sound, this time with words: “Honored guest… honored guest…”

When his lips moved downward, Mo Zi cried out softly, only to be kissed by him again.

However, the poison of longing had been relieved. This bite was slippery and smooth. He propped up his upper body, smiling quite improperly. “Beauty, don’t be hasty. Wait until they leave before we play.”

He turned over, lying on his side facing those who had burst in, with some annoyance at having good business interrupted. “Madam, what is the meaning of this? Did Teng Guo short you on silver?”

“No, no.” The madam hastily waved her hands—this was a distinguished guest Master Teng had carefully instructed her to treat with the utmost hospitality. “It’s—”

“What nonsense?” Wu Yanle stood outside the door, face flushed with drunkenness, voice still unclear. “Just search once and be done.”

The guards immediately rummaged through boxes and cabinets, even turning over the bedsheets, then reported to Wu Yanle there was nothing.

Wu Yanle was about to turn away but suddenly stepped into the room. “You two making love, truly oblivious to all else—not the slightest bit of surprise.”

“To die under peony flowers, even as a ghost one would be romantic. With a beauty before me, how could I attend to anything else? Forget not being surprised—best to send everyone away quickly so this humble one can continue. Heart’s fire is hard to extinguish!” Yuan Cheng curved his lips into a smile.

In everyone’s eyes, that expression was called wicked and treacherous.

Mo Zi stared at his back, wishing she could pierce through that sexiness!