Chapter 28: You Like Him So Much, You Let Him Just…

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The next day.
Mid-July. The scorching summer heat turned the Phoenix Pavilion into a giant steamer basket.

All the female officials were desperate to go about their duties barefoot and barehanded. Normally heat-sensitive, Juchen was, oddly enough, wearing a robe that buttoned all the way up to her neck today. Xue Wan couldn’t help but fan her with her palm-leaf fan. Fortunately, although Juchen feared the heat, she had fair, porcelain-like skin and a delicate constitution. Even after a long day of work, she hardly broke a sweat.

As the evening drum sounded, the civil office began to close for the day.

Juchen bowed her head and began organizing the documents at her station. Xuyang suddenly popped her head into the Phoenix Pavilion, making her way cheerfully through the bows and greetings before grabbing Juchen’s hand with excitement.

“I saw a new clothing and accessories shop opened by foreign merchants in the Golden Market yesterday. I spotted an outfit I thought would look perfect on you.”

“Come with me, try it on for me!”

Xuyang dragged her back to the princess’s manor, opened a corner of the ornate box in front of the dressing mirror, and the moment Juchen saw the clear, sky-blue fabric shimmer, her eyes lit up.

Xuyang pulled her behind the screen. “Hurry, put it on. I want to see if it suits you!”

Juchen smiled and unfastened the first button at her collar. But then her hands suddenly stopped. A thought had struck her.

“What, shy now? In front of me?” Xuyang teased, noticing the red flush on Juchen’s cheeks.

Without waiting, she stepped forward and began to undress her herself. Though Juchen appeared delicate, she actually had an incredibly fine figure. Every time, Xuyang would find herself momentarily stunned by her curves—bewitching and alluring.

But this time, the moment she pulled open the upper part of Juchen’s robe and caught sight of her collarbone, her brows furrowed sharply.

It was the same kind of marks as last time.

Juchen quickly tried to cover herself with her hands. But her mind was already replaying scenes from the previous night:

They had rolled from the banquet cushions to the bed.
He’d tugged open her slender sash and kissed her lips.
From shoulder to belly—before, he’d always stop there and return.
But this time, he kept going.

Her body had started trembling. Her eyes went wide with panic. She tried to sit up, but he had mercilessly pushed her back down.

“N-No, you can’t… lick… that…”

“But I want to.” His cold, flat tone, combined with the sheer boldness of his actions, made it incredibly seductive.

“Why…?” she murmured, her voice already slurred.

The man below her chuckled.
“Because I have a very dark heart.”

Her mind went blank, her eyes wide in disbelief. From that point on, she could only moan in soft, indistinct fragments. She didn’t dare speak clearly anymore.

Now, Xuyang pushed her hands away and removed her clothes entirely. Her gaze dropped to the red marks on Juchen’s chest, and her brows scrunched tightly.

To leave marks this big—just how wild were they last night?

She didn’t dare think too deeply about it.

Annoyed, she flicked Juchen’s nose. “You like him that much? Just let him do whatever he wants?”

While scolding her out loud, Xuyang was inwardly trying to guess who it could possibly be. But no matter how hard she guessed, she never would’ve imagined that it was her seemingly noble and restrained uncle.

Juchen, looking like she was trying to please her, reached for her hand and whispered, “I was wrong, Ranran. Please give me a little time. Don’t tell anyone yet…”

Xuyang thought she was worried about her own reputation.

But then Juchen added, “I’m afraid if someone finds out, it’ll hurt his reputation.”

Xuyang: “…”

Where’s your dignity? Where’s your pride?

Wasn’t she the one who swore she’d never fall into the trap of romance? The one who said she’d never let a man tie her down?

Xuyang felt secondhand embarrassment for her. Coldly, she asked, “He doesn’t want to take responsibility?”

“No,” Juchen replied softly, “I never expected him to.”

After a pause, she added, “It was me who started it.”

“So you don’t want to take responsibility?”

“He doesn’t seem like he needs me to.”

“Then do you want to?”

Juchen paused and lowered her lashes.
“I… don’t not want to.”

Xuyang had never seen her look like this before—so shy, so flustered, and strangely lacking in confidence. This was the same girl who used to attract flocks of admirers with just a single glance.

From the looks of it, she’d really fallen deep.

Too bad the man was a complete jerk.

Xuyang sighed, her gaze falling again on the marks scattered across her skin. She actually felt a twinge of sympathy. Sure, anyone would find a body like Juchen’s irresistible, but did he have to go that far?

And yet Juchen defended him again.
“It’s actually not that bad.”

He just liked leaving all kinds of marks on her, like stamping a seal, but he never really hurt her.

Watching her side with the man again, Xuyang gave up. She pinched Juchen’s earlobe and mocked her:
“Who would’ve thought this is your type? I thought you liked the gentle and soft kind.”

Juchen honestly didn’t know what kind she liked. She had so little experience with this sort of thing that she assumed this was just how it went.

“He is quite gentle,” she murmured, face red. “This kind of thing… it’s only fun when both people are enjoying it.”

He did like trying out new positions—some of which made her blush from head to toe—but she had to admit, it felt pretty good.

Xuyang burst out laughing in frustration. She gave up pinching her ear and just flicked her forehead instead.

Juchen bowed her head and obediently began putting on the outfit Xuyang had picked out.

Xuyang sighed and spun her around in front of the tall bronze mirror. As she admired the view, she thought, Indeed—arched brows like distant mountains, a slender willow waist, beauty like a spring breeze… even a single smile is worth a fortune.

She was very pleased and smiled brightly.

Just then, Yuan Zheng passed by the door. Xuyang quickly called him in to take a look, but he only replied, “No time,” with a heavy expression, and hurried off toward the gates.

It was rare to see him look that grim.

Curious, Xuyang called over one of his guards to ask what was going on. She learned that the Turkic army had suddenly launched a surprise attack on the Tibetan border. The Tibetan King had sent a letter pleading for Great Liang’s aid. The Empress Dowager had immediately summoned the Privy Council and all the generals into the palace for an emergency meeting.

Standing nearby, Juchen’s faint smile slowly faded. A memory surfaced from her past life:

Back then, Great Liang had agreed to send troops to support Tibet, and the two nations had formed an alliance. The following spring, a Tibetan diplomatic envoy would arrive in the capital to sign the treaty. At that time, Song Mi would be invited by the Tibetan King to travel north and experience the local culture.

If she remembered correctly, he had a romantic encounter during that trip.

She told herself it was nothing. After all, she was a worldly woman. A man having one or two flings—perfectly normal.

Juchen tried to convince herself it was fine. It was fine.

It was NOT fine!

She hadn’t even secured him yet—and he’d be gone for a whole year?

What if he forgot about her during that time?

They say people only obsess over what they can’t have. Now that he’d already had her body—would he still care?

Juchen deeply regretted being so proactive before.

Xuyang turned around and saw her looking depressed.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, concerned.

Juchen thought for a moment, then grabbed Xuyang’s hand.
“Ranran… I want to learn archery.”

Xuyang gave her a sideways glance, remembering how in the past, when she and Yuan Zheng tried dragging her along to the autumn hunts, Juchen would just lie there on her horse like a lifeless worm, barely moving.

Now she was asking to learn on her own initiative?

Xuyang squinted suspiciously. “Is it because he’s good at archery?”

Juchen didn’t deny it, but emphasized,
“It’s not just for him.”

Xuyang didn’t believe a word. She sighed heavily.
“Silly girl. Even if you want to impress him, you’ve got to figure out what he actually likes. You think just because he can shoot arrows, you learn too, and he’ll fall for you?”

“Men don’t care about that.”

Juchen blinked.
“Then what do they care about?”

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Xuyang gently patted Juchen’s head, lifted one corner of her lips in a half-smile, then turned and walked into the inner room. From the secret compartment beneath Juchen’s pillow, she retrieved a rare book Juchen had secretly hidden for years and handed it to her.

Juchen looked down. The cover read: “The Admonitions for Women” (Nü Jie).

So in the end, men in this world still preferred women who were well-behaved and proper? Doubt crept into her heart. She casually flipped the book open—

And was immediately greeted by pages of explicit illustrations—white, naked little figures entangled together. Her face turned red in an instant.

With a loud snap, she slammed the book shut.

Xuyang patted her shoulder with exaggerated seriousness.
“Go home and study this properly.”

Juchen: “…”

As the sun dipped below the mountains, Xuyang carefully folded Juchen’s new clothes back into the brocade box. Noticing she’d eaten a few more pieces of the seasonal candied fruit on the table, she thoughtfully had some packed up for her as well.

Juchen quietly placed the book back beneath her pillow. Just as the food box was handed over to her, Xuyang snatched the book back and sneakily tucked it into the bottom layer of the food box.

Helpless, Juchen accepted her “kindness,” blushing with shame.

Xuyang handed both the clothing box and food box to Juchen. As she admired the elegant jade-and-gold bracelet on Juchen’s wrist, the more she looked, the more beautiful it seemed. Feeling pleased, she decided to return the favor.

She called for another food box and had a portion packed up for Song Mi.

She heard that Song Mi was still busy at the Central Secretariat. Since Juchen would pass by on her way home, Xuyang asked her to drop it off.

Juchen was more than happy to help.

But before she left, the maid accidentally swapped the two food boxes—the one meant for Song Mi and the one meant for Juchen.

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The sun was sinking; the sky had turned a syrupy yellow, like oil paper soaked in honey.

Juchen arrived at the gate of the Central Secretariat and politely explained her purpose. The eunuch on duty informed her that the Prince of Pengshan (Song Mi) had been busy all day, without food or water. When the Empress Dowager heard this, she issued an imperial decree sending him home to rest. He had already left the palace.

Juchen nodded her thanks and departed through Xihua Gate, heading to his secondary residence, Ciyou Villa. She hadn’t expected to find him there—but as soon as she entered, she saw him sitting in the study.

He was currently resting his chin in the crook of his thumb, long lashes half-lowered, staring pensively at a large map of Great Liang’s border.

She quietly asked Yuan Ruo if he had eaten yet. After receiving confirmation, she asked Yuan Ruo not to disturb him, placed the food box on the table, and left without a word.

Upon returning home, Juchen—luckily cautious by nature—feared someone might discover the book hidden in the food box. So the moment she entered her room, she opened the box in secret, intending to stash the book away again.

But when she pulled out the bottom drawer—

Empty!

She froze. Her eyes widened. Then she spun around and rushed out the door toward Ciyou Villa.

She ran straight into the courtyard and burst into the bedroom. There, the food box sat untouched on the table.

Only then did she finally breathe a sigh of relief. She noticed sweat beading on her forehead and her cheeks flushed from the run.

Just then, Song Mi entered. Seeing her standing before the table, her delicate silhouette illuminated by the setting sun, his eyes softened with a gentle smile. He walked up to her, saw her drenched in sweat, and lifted his sleeve to wipe her forehead.

He couldn’t help teasing,
“Were you in such a hurry to see me?”

Juchen hesitated a moment, then nodded.

Song Mi slipped an arm around her waist.
“Missed me?”

Juchen nodded again, but gently pushed him away.
“Yes. I missed… your tea.”

Yesterday, they had agreed to meet at dusk, but Juchen had been restless all morning. She had come to the villa early, not expecting Song Mi to be there already. To hide her embarrassment, she boldly invited him to visit the archive library together—leading to their unexpected encounter with Song Yun later that day.

At the archive, Song Mi had made her tea using an idle set of utensils. She declared it the best cup she’d ever had.

Raising a brow, Song Mi looked intrigued. Juchen hugged him and playfully begged him to fetch the tea leaves—she really wanted another taste.

The moment he left the room, Juchen rushed to open the food box.

But the book was nowhere to be found.

She froze, flustered, completely blanking out.

Then, a familiar tall figure reappeared behind her. Song Mi leaned in over her shoulder. His warm breath brushed her neck, tickling her skin.

“What are you looking for?”

“Nothing!” Juchen denied immediately, eyes shifting. “Just checking to see if it’s cold. Cold food’s bad for the stomach.”

Song Mi stared at her for a long moment. Then, with a cool smirk, he said:

“Oh? I thought… you might be looking for this.”

He lifted up the very book with “Nü Jie” on the cover.

Juchen’s pupils contracted. She immediately rose on tiptoe to snatch it.

But Song Mi held it just out of reach. She ended up crashing into him, arms instinctively wrapping around his waist. He was still in his formal court robes—dark purple with a jade belt. The elegant official attire only made him seem more powerful and aloof.

Yet now, this proud and noble figure was being clung to by a petite woman, her hands grasping at him tightly.

Song Mi glanced at her, then raised the book and flipped it over.
“So this is what women’s ‘Admonitions’ are like?”

Juchen blurted, “It’s not!”

“Oh?” he teased. “Then you gave it to me… are you suggesting I should learn from it?”

Juchen immediately denied it: “No!”

“So… it was meant for you?”

Again, “No!”

Song Mi suddenly turned to look at her. Her once-clear eyes were now full of panic and embarrassment. He had no doubt that if a crack opened in the floor right now, she’d dive in and never come out again.

Despite having wiped her sweat once already, Juchen’s forehead broke out into cold sweat again. She swallowed hard several times, then—trying and failing to act calm—blurted out:

“I meant… we can both study it.”

Song Mi paused, then smiled.
“Good idea.”

Just then, Yuan Ruo brought in the tea.

Song Mi asked,
“Still want tea?”

Juchen’s voice was dry,
“Yes.”

She drank four or five pots in a row, while Song Mi sat there silently, watching her with growing amusement. Eventually, her discomfort became unbearable, and just as she was about to excuse herself—

Song Mi intercepted her and subtly suggested,
“Want to bathe together?”

Juchen froze.
“Aren’t you tired?”

Song Mi chuckled,
“Not anymore.”

Not anymore?
Why not anymore?
Because he saw that book?

Juchen felt a chill run down her spine. Her back went stiff. She said “sure” with her mouth—but then shoved him out the door to go heat water in the kitchen.

The moment he left—

She fled.

When Song Mi returned and found the room empty, he let out a quiet, amused laugh.

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