Chapter Fourteen: Removing Clothes

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The so-called “insect lure powder” was, in fact, snake-attracting powder.

At Liu Fuying’s insistence, Jinli retrieved the powder and began sprinkling it from behind the back gate near the mountain, letting it trail all the way into the courtyard. There was a small gap beneath the rotted wooden gate—perfect for letting a snake slip in.

This time of year was exactly when snakes and insects were most active.

With the mountain right behind them, it wouldn’t take long to lure one over.

When Jinli knocked on the door and came in, her face had gone pale. Liu Fuying understood immediately—the snake had arrived.

“Madam, Miss, it’s time for dinner.”

As soon as Liu Shiyuan heard that, she jumped up and walked out. She’d been cooped up inside all afternoon and was already stir-crazy. Annoyed as she was, she completely missed Jinli’s pale face and shaky voice.

She had barely stepped into the courtyard when a sharp scream pierced the air.

Liu Fuying smirked inwardly. She had been waiting for this moment—for Liu Shiyuan to scare herself silly. After that, even if she begged her to stay, she wouldn’t dare.

By the time Liu Fuying came outside, the courtyard was already empty.

The snake had been startled and had slithered away.

Liu Fuying pretended to search for Liu Shiyuan for a while. When she finally found her, the girl was huddled inside the carriage in front of the temple, refusing to come down and yelling at the driver to take her away immediately.

Now that put Jinli in a good mood.

Before going to search for her, they had already cleaned up the lure powder in the courtyard. Once they got back and waited a while, the Taoist priests—who had been alerted by the screams—confirmed everything was fine and left. Only then did Liu Fuying change clothes.

After all that chaos, the sky was completely dark.

She quickly finished her vegetarian dinner and pulled the wooden gate open to leave.

“M-Madam, aren’t you afraid?” Jinli asked nervously.

“Afraid? Afraid of what—ghosts or people?”

“Snakes!”

“If you’re that scared of everything, maybe you should just stay behind.”

Despite her pounding heart, Liu Fuying still stepped into the underbrush.

At that very moment, in the bamboo hut below the cliff, Pei Zhouwu was nowhere to be seen inside. In the distance, the sound of splashing water came from the pool behind the house.

Pei Zhouwu was bathing.

His robe was open at the chest as he stood in the water.

Moonlight slanted down across his body, casting a silver sheen over the wet moon-white fabric. Water droplets sparkled on his chest, luminous and seductive.

He tilted his head up, gazing at the moon.

His expression was even lonelier than the moonlight itself.

Though his eyes rested on the moon, his thoughts had drifted far, far away.

Lost in his reverie, he didn’t notice the figure gliding through the water toward him.

Liu Fuying swam through the underwater tunnel and was just about to emerge. The closer she got, the more clearly she saw the white silhouette flickering in the ripples.

She was both shocked and certain—if it was a person, it had to be Pei Zhouwu.

Through the water, she caught a glimpse of his bare chest.

She had long wondered how Pei Zhouwu bathed, even fantasized about it before. Who would’ve thought she’d get to witness it with her own eyes today?

In that sense, she had Liu Shiyuan to thank. If she hadn’t stalled her, she wouldn’t have arrived this late and missed this view.

Breaking the surface of the water, Liu Fuying gasped for air, feigning near-drowning.

Startled, Pei Zhouwu’s expression turned pale—an expression rarely used to describe a man, yet it suited him perfectly.

“You…”

Today was neither the first nor the fifteenth of the lunar month.

He hadn’t expected her to come.

Liu Fuying stood unsteadily in the water, pretending not to notice him at first. When she finally “realized” he was there, she slapped her hands over her eyes in mock horror.

“Imperial Uncle Pei—why aren’t you wearing any clothes?!”

Her voice carried a bashful quiver that made Pei Zhouwu instinctively lower his head. Of course, he wasn’t completely nude—he had only undone the front of his robe to wash more easily.

“Miss Su, my apologies. I’ve offended you.”

He didn’t even scold her for barging in. If anyone had been wronged, it was clearly him.

But hearing the sound of water shifting, Liu Fuying peeked through her fingers and saw that he had turned to head toward the shore.

She lowered her hands, raised an eyebrow, and began plotting again.

Then—

Splash!

Pei Zhouwu turned quickly at the sound—only to see Liu Fuying’s body vanish into the water.

His brows furrowed. He stepped back into the pool, but the surface kept rippling without any sign of her resurfacing.

Reaching into the water, he grabbed hold of her and pulled her up.

She erupted in a coughing fit, clearly having inhaled quite a bit of water.

“Miss Su, are you alright?!”

“I… cough cough… I felt dizzy just now… I don’t even know how I fell in… My legs gave out…”

Even as she spoke, her eyelids drooped.

Without further hesitation, Pei Zhouwu scooped her into his arms.

He hadn’t even had time to re-fasten his robe, and the beads of water sliding down his exposed chest added a layer of sinful temptation.

Limp in his arms, Liu Fuying let him carry her back into the bamboo house.

Pei Zhouwu laid her on the bamboo bed. The thin quilt was neither practical to cover her nor safe to leave her exposed—her clothes were drenched. If he covered her, the blanket would soak through, making the dampness worse.

“Why did you suddenly feel faint?” he asked.

He feared she might be sick. Besides, it was already late. She should’ve been at the Prince of Qi’s estate, not trekking into the mountains alone at night.

“I don’t know… maybe I’ve just been run-down lately,” Liu Fuying murmured, her voice as soft as a kitten’s mewl, her eyes fluttering shut again.

“Did something happen at the Prince’s residence?”

Pei Zhouwu was about to ask more when she seemed to drift off, murmuring only one word: “Cold…”

He could tell that if he did nothing, she’d truly fall ill.

So he got up, the weight of his ankle chains dragging as he left the room.

As soon as he was gone, Liu Fuying’s eyes snapped open.

She never used to be this cunning. But now, in her desperation for a child, she had practically gone through all thirty-six stratagems.

Pei Zhouwu had likely gone to fetch something to warm her up.

But if she was to warm herself… then her wet clothes had to come off first.

She wondered—if Pei Zhouwu happened to catch a glimpse of something, what would his reaction be?

Before long, he returned carrying a basin of hot coals.

The smoky scent of burning wood drifted out the window in curling white wisps.

“Cough… cough cough.”

Liu Fuying turned away from the smoke just as Pei Zhouwu said, “Miss Su, the mountain nights are always colder than the city. You must’ve fainted due to your weak constitution. Now that your body’s soaked through with dampness, you’ll definitely fall ill if you don’t do something. So…”

He paused, eyes lowering.

“…So, you should remove your wet clothes and dry them over the fire.”

A long silence followed before Liu Fuying finally responded in a hesitant voice, “But… but…”