The moonlight was snow-white, the luminous pearls snow-white, yet the person wearing a single-layer garment had sweat beading on his forehead, his complexion flushed red.

“You drank too much?” Mo Zi hadn’t expected wine to dispel cold to this degree.

“Mm?”

This was Yuan Cheng’s bedchamber, but at first she didn’t think in strange directions. By the time she now felt something was wrong, she could only steel herself.

“You… shouldn’t have come.” He exhaled a long breath that actually trembled.

“Seems so.” She walked to the window without batting an eye, pushed it with her elbow, discovered it wouldn’t open, and frowned. “However, it’s too late for regrets now. How about I respond to your myriad changes with my unchanging stance?”

He laughed, somehow seeming a bit frivolous. “Talking with you is truly never boring. That clever little brain of yours seems to hide endless treasures. I’d like to see whether, if I have myriad transformations, your unchanging stance can truly cope.”

Having said this, he set down his brush and walked out from behind the desk. The closer he got to Mo Zi, the faster his steps became.

Mo Zi didn’t move, because she had to hold firm to what she’d said. But in her heart, she actually very much wanted to turn and run, especially seeing that face gradually approaching—the gentle features displaying a handsomeness as passionate as flames, making her heart pound until her whole body went weak. She could indeed smell alcohol, but he normally never flushed no matter how much he drank. Such a complexion was truly abnormal. She stared into his eyes—enchanting shadows flickered within them.

“Perhaps too confident?” The corner of his mouth curved wickedly. He bent down, his nose almost touching her face.

She didn’t dare breathe. Whether to retreat or not—she could no longer consider if this was even a question.

“This room is so hot.” He spoke to himself, then stood up straight.

Before she could breathe a sigh of relief, she saw his hand suddenly reach over to untie the sash of her outer robe.

“Yuan Cheng, what are you doing!” Greatly alarmed, she clutched her collar, using her other hand to wrap the robe tighter.

“You’re wearing too much—seeing you makes me even hotter.” His slender ten fingers found every gap, loosening half of her outer robe.

Mo Zi wanted to slap him. Her hand had just risen halfway when his fingers accidentally touched her face. A very hot body temperature—the same as his gaze, burning up.

This person wasn’t drunk—he clearly had been—drugged with some type of substance collectively called aphrodisiacs.

She grasped his hand. Her own hand was ice-cold, so it felt as if she’d caught hold of a ball of fire.

Yuan Cheng narrowed his eyes, his frivolous tone suddenly becoming aggrieved. “Mo Zi, you said unchanging—how can you go back on your word?”

“You’re right, I was too confident.” If her guess was correct, even if she couldn’t leave this room, it would be best to keep some distance from him and find other things to do to distract him. “Let me go back on my word then. You go back to practicing calligraphy. By the way, what were you writing just now? Cursive script? Regular script? Let me take a look.”

She deftly evaded that gaze that seemed ready to devour her alive, pretending nonchalance as she walked toward the desk, though her heart was all over the place. There were all kinds of aphrodisiacs—she didn’t know which type he’d been drugged with, whether it could be self-resolved or must be resolved by someone. If it was the latter, what should she do? Thinking about it, her head ached. She picked up what he’d just written—wild, extreme cursive script dancing like dragons and phoenixes.

Mo—Zi—

Mo Zi?

Looking down, she saw a table of scattered papers in various scripts, with only two characters—her name.

She inwardly cried out in despair. If she hadn’t appeared, he might have been able to hold out by writing her name. Now, wasn’t she a fragrant, tempting bait?

“I suddenly discovered my name is very suitable for practicing calligraphy. Many strokes—it looks beautiful when written.” Muddle through first, wherever that led—Mo Zi thought this way.

The robe fell to the ground. His powerful arms encircled her waist, pulling her away from the desk edge, his chest pressed tight against her back, rising and falling violently together. Within seconds, his body’s abnormal heat transferred to hers, burning her face and ears red.

She cried out again, “Yuan Cheng!”

“Very hot.” He breathed softly in her ear. “You’re cold. Holding you is very comfortable.”

No, she wasn’t cold anymore. With him startling and frightening her, she was starting to sweat too. “Yuan Cheng, I’m starting to get hot now. The tabletop is very cold though—lying on it would be more comfortable for you. Want to try?”

The chest behind her rumbled. The scent of alcohol surrounded her completely, difficult to escape. She heard his deep, languid laugh. “Do you think I’m a child to be coaxed? I think that bed is more comfortable. Why don’t we try it first?”

She turned her face sideways. Her cheek suddenly touched scorching heat. She gasped sharply and turned to look at him.

He smiled with pursed lips, his eyes and brows containing boundless spring colors, his expression utterly smug. “Don’t blame me—you’re the one who delivered yourself to my lips.”

“What kind of thing did you eat at the Grand Councilor’s house?” Regardless of whether his mind was clear or not, she still had to ask.

“Not there.” He spoke perfectly good words while pressed intimately close, like lovers whispering. “Halfway there, Xu Jiu invited me to his house. Only drank two cups of wine. Either the wine or the food had Soul-Stirring Pills in it. I made a prompt decision and returned to the mansion.”

“You’re speaking quite clearly, aren’t you?” Mo Zi found it strange. “Since you’re rational, you probably weren’t drugged deeply.”

A coldness on her body—his restless hands had removed another outer garment.

“Yuan Cheng, stop.” Terrible—she’d been so focused on talking with him.

“Soul-Stirring Pills are an extremely powerful aphrodisiac. They won’t make one’s mind unclear, but one also cannot control the body’s reactions. Supposedly, this pill was created by a woman who didn’t want men to use the excuse afterward of not remembering to deny everything. Just like how I clearly know I shouldn’t be holding you, yet I cannot control these hands.” His hands were yearning.

“Then… is there an antidote?” Her ear roots were blown on until she lost all feeling. Her hands grabbed his hands, not wanting to lose another garment.

“Hua Yi went to find a physician to ask. Hopefully there is. If not—” The person who moved his heart was right before his eyes. The Soul-Stirring Pills were simply becoming Soul-Destroying Pills. His body grew hotter and hotter, his mind clearer and clearer, clearly clamoring to drag her to his bed. The hands she held tightly were probably the most comfortable place, therefore wanting to be even closer, even more intimate.

“If not, can you hold out through the drug’s effects yourself?” This was her most pressing concern.

Yuan Cheng laughed twice, making it sound like schadenfreude. “Must find a woman to resolve it, otherwise by dawn I’ll be dead. Mo Zi, tell me, what should we do?”

Mo Zi didn’t know what to do. She liked him, but didn’t want to give herself away under such circumstances. At least it should be when emotions were deep, at least after marriage and bowing to heaven and earth. Call her old-fashioned, call her affected—she was just such a person who quite insisted on self-respect.

“Hua Yi will definitely bring you an antidote. It happened at Xu Jiu’s house—it was Xiang Shiyi! Threaten her a bit and she’ll naturally hand it over.”

“Xiang Shiyi has no antidote.” Yuan Cheng’s gaze gradually deepened. “Mo Zi, you have a wood fragrance on you. Playing with those pieces of wood again?”

“How do you know Xiang Shiyi doesn’t have… Ah!” He’d picked her up.

He was actually quite strong. After thinking this, she smacked her own head. What time was it to be marveling about this?

She’d barely struggled twice when her body sank into the soft bed. She hurried to get up, but Yuan Cheng’s entire person pressed down on her. Her palms braced against his shoulders, immediately feeling that intimidating heat.

“Yuan Cheng, there will be an antidote.” She gritted her teeth, using all her strength to ignore that face made extraordinarily handsome by desire.

“Mo Zi, I know what I want to do.” He was also struggling greatly, resisting his body’s faithful reactions. “It’s because it’s you that I’m like this. Do you understand?”

“Those words have two interpretations. One is called being unable to restrain one’s emotions. One is called sweet talk. I want to believe you’re the former, but not right now. Tell me, is your reason fighting against your body? If so, then your thoughts are the same as mine—not now.” Her eyes grew moist with urgency, but this time she wouldn’t cry.

His hand gently caressed her cheek, his thumb rubbing across that beautiful lip line, sliding down to her fair neck. The delicate sensation made his breathing catch, his whole body tense, nearly gasping aloud. He admitted she was absolutely right. Using her as the antidote would not only insult her but also insult himself. It should be mutual affection, not something done out of necessity.

“Mo Zi, there will be an antidote.” He smiled at her. She didn’t know that her face, flushed red by his touch, was stunningly beautiful. Even normally he’d probably have improper thoughts, let alone now with such powerful drug effects at work. So this was what it meant to have feelings—unable not to be greedy.

“I’ll lie with you and wait together.” She yielded a step.

He closed his eyes, then opened them again, forcibly enduring as he rolled off the bed. “I’d better practice calligraphy. That table is ice-cold—it might truly be more comfortable than here.” Lying together with her, he wouldn’t last a quarter hour before going mad. “You go to the outer room. I’m afraid… in the end I won’t be able to hold back…”

Her half-parted lips, snow-white skin, slender and delicate body—they made his blood boil.

“No, I want to stay here.” On this point, she was also very determined.

“Mo Zi—” He couldn’t control his body or actions.

“If there’s no antidote…” She wasn’t cruel to the end. “You’ll have me. At that time, I won’t be the antidote—I’ll be—”

He turned to look at her. “Be what?”

“When that time comes, I’ll tell you.” If she said it now, he’d most likely throw all caution to the wind.

“Then cover yourself well with the quilt and face inward. Sleep for a while.” He clenched his fists forcefully. His legs felt heavy as a thousand pounds. By the time he reached the desk, he was exhausted.

At the fifth watch, Mo Zi woke with a start, drenched in cold sweat. She hadn’t planned to sleep at first, but listening to Yuan Cheng writing, she’d dozed off. Fortunately her heart was uneasy—she woke as soon as the watch drum sounded. There was no longer the sound of brush strokes on paper. Suddenly feeling something was wrong, she hurriedly turned to look.

The floor was covered with papers. In the middle of the pile stood Yuan Cheng, his collar disheveled, sleeves rolled up, his complexion ashen gray, eyes rigidly closed.

She was terrified, panicking as she got out of bed. “Yuan Cheng, you…”

Yuan Cheng opened his eyes, bloodshot, but still forced a smile seeing her. “I’m fine.”

As soon as he finished saying this, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Mo Zi’s mind went instantly blank, making only one movement. She stepped forward and embraced him.

“It’s alright.” She said.

“Don’t wait for the antidote anymore.” She said again.

“Today we’ll—” Marry. She wanted to say.

“Master, Physician Hua just finished preparing the medicine. Hua Yi is late in his return.” Outside the window, tree shadows overlapped with human shadows.

Xie Di had come.

She released her hands. Having just stepped back, he pulled her back into his embrace with his own hands, clasping her slender waist, pressing his lips firmly against hers.

Who still cared about any antidote?!