Chapter 15

Lu Hengzhi rose and poured a cup of warm water. With one arm, he gently lifted her and brought the cup to her lips. She was indeed parched and drank it all in one go.

“Want more?” he asked.

Su Qingluo nodded.

Lu Hengzhi was about to get up and pour another cup when she suddenly grabbed his wrist.

Her cheeks were flushed, her voice soft and sweet as she called him, “Third Brother…”

Lu Hengzhi’s gaze darkened as he looked at her.

Su Qingluo felt as if a fire had ignited inside her—somewhere deep, itchy and numb. Before she could even register her actions, she had already grasped his wrist.

His wrist was cool, pale, slender, yet strong.

Su Qingluo looked up. He wore a moon-white long robe, his features cold and composed, gazing at her without blinking—like a distant, untouchable moon. The front of his robe was embroidered with winding bamboo-green vines, curling like tendrils that seemed to reach straight into her heart. She was dangerously close to losing control.

Su Qingluo bit down hard on her lip, the taste of blood flooding her mouth.

A bead of blood welled from her lower lip. Lu Hengzhi’s brow furrowed as he gripped her chin. “Don’t bite. Haven’t you hurt yourself enough?”

There was a trace of concern in his voice.

Su Qingluo wasn’t sure if she was imagining it—her mind was slipping fast. His fingertips were cool against her skin, and the touch seemed to ease the burning heat inside her. She instinctively wanted more.

She looked up—and met his gaze. Those eyes, cold and deep, were utterly captivating. Unable to resist, she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck.

The teacup shattered on the floor with a sharp “crack.”

Su Qingluo lifted her head and kissed him. His lips were softer than cotton, and she couldn’t help but want more—but he suddenly pressed her shoulders down.

Lu Hengzhi’s breath was slightly uneven, but he pulled back, restraining himself and ending the kiss. His eyes darkened. “Are you sure?”

She wasn’t in her right mind now, and he had no intention of taking advantage of her vulnerability.

Besides, in this dynasty, a woman’s chastity was held in the highest regard. To lose it before marriage was a grave offense—he didn’t want her to bear that burden.

But to Su Qingluo, his words were unmistakably a rejection. Her mind flashed back to his cold voice that day: “There is absolutely no romantic entanglement between Miss Su and me.”

How could it be like this? Her heart sank. Shame surged through her, and tears spilled uncontrollably. Why did it have to be him? Why did she have to show such a pitiful, disheveled side in front of the one person she most wanted to maintain dignity with—and be rejected by him?

This wasn’t who she was. A wave of humiliation welled up inside her, but the fire in her body still refused to subside. In fact, it was growing stronger.

Suddenly, Su Qingluo pulled the hairpin from her head and, eyes shut tight, stabbed it toward her own arm, but she felt no pain. Opening her eyes, she saw Lu Hengzhi’s palm facing upward—he had intercepted the hairpin. A stream of bright red blood gushed from his hand, dripping onto her thin garments, soaking through to her skin. It was still warm.

That warmth jolted her back to clarity. She looked up at Lu Hengzhi, stunned, unable to understand why he would take the injury for her.

“You…”

Lu Hengzhi pulled the embedded hairpin from his palm, his expression cold. “I told you not to hurt yourself. Are you just ignoring everything I say?”

Su Qingluo stared at the blood seeping from his hand. “I’m sorry.”

Lu Hengzhi replied calmly, “It’s nothing.”

Su Qingluo bit her lip. “But I still feel…”

The next words simply wouldn’t come out.

Lu Hengzhi casually pulled a white handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped the blood from his palm. Then he stood and glanced at her. “Forgive me.”

Su Qingluo hadn’t yet grasped what he meant when she saw him begin to untie his belt. Startled, she clenched her fists tightly. What was he going to do?

Lu Hengzhi’s expression remained unreadable as he wrapped the gray-white belt around his hand.

Su Qingluo shut her eyes and said, “You don’t have to force yourself, I…” She stopped mid-sentence.

Lu Hengzhi used the belt to bind her wrists. “So you won’t hurt yourself again.”

Su Qingluo’s face flushed red to the tips of her ears—she had nearly misunderstood his intentions.

After tying her hands, he stood and said, “Wait here a moment. I’ll go get some wound medicine.”

Only then did Su Qingluo remember to say, “My maid Zi Yuan is also at the temple.” Her voice was weak and faint.

Lu Hengzhi nodded. “I know. I’ll find a way to bring her here.” He stepped outside. Xie Tingyu was waiting in the corridor. Seeing him emerge, he looked him up and down and couldn’t help teasing, “So you only undid your belt?”

Lu Hengzhi had no interest in joking. He simply asked, “Is there an antidote?”

Xie Tingyu replied lazily, “This kind of drug is meant for amusement—what antidote would there be? But from what I can tell, the dosage she took isn’t too strong. It’ll wear off in about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Just endure it.”

Lu Hengzhi’s gaze turned slightly cold.

The current emperor disliked private dealings between officials and the royal family and was notoriously suspicious. To avoid scrutiny, Lu Hengzhi hadn’t even brought Song Wen with him this time, and now he had no one reliable to call upon.

After a moment’s thought, he removed the jade pendant from his waist and said, “Take this and send someone to the front to find a maid named Zi Yuan. Tell her to bring a clean set of clothes and come quietly. Don’t draw attention.”

Xie Tingyu shrugged. “The people here are at your disposal.”

With a teasing tone, Xie Tingyu said, “I’ll head back to the palace now and leave this place to you—and the young lady.”

Lu Hengzhi was used to his irreverent manner and didn’t bother to respond. After giving instructions to the hidden guards and retrieving the wound medicine, he returned to the bamboo hut.

The wind had picked up, making the bamboo walls creak and rattle.

Lu Hengzhi pushed the door open again. A gust of wind swept in, dimming the candlelight for a moment before it flared back to life. He closed the door behind him and placed a dark brown porcelain bottle on the table.

“This matter shouldn’t draw too much attention. I’ve already sent someone to find Zi Yuan. Just wait a little longer.”

Su Qingluo struggled to speak. “Thank you…” But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t bring herself to call him “Third Brother”—it felt far too intimate now. Her hands were still bound, and she was deeply uncomfortable, especially with Lu Hengzhi back in the room. She shut her eyes, trying not to look at him, forcing herself to recall passages from the women’s conduct manuals she’d studied. But her body kept twisting involuntarily, and her forehead was slick with sweat. It was unbearably humiliating.

Thankfully, Lu Hengzhi slowly turned away and stood quietly by the window, no longer looking at her, as if giving her space. He bent down and lit a stick of calming dragon musk incense. She relaxed slightly, soothed by the fragrance. After enduring a little longer, she finally felt the effects of the drug begin to fade. Once her body returned to normal, the memory of what she’d done hit her like a wave. She wished she could bury her head in a block of tofu. She didn’t dare speak to the man before her.

Instead, it was Lu Hengzhi who turned around first, studying her for a moment. “Better now?”

Su Qingluo’s voice was barely a whisper. “Mm.”

Lu Hengzhi walked over.

Her clothes were soaked with sweat, her face still tinged with a faint blush, but her eyes had regained clarity—though her expression was full of shame. Her pale wrists were red and abraded from the belt, even broken in places. Unable to meet his gaze, she quickly lowered her head, her ears turning pink.

Not wanting her to suffer further, Lu Hengzhi reached out and untied the belt around her wrists. He had tied it with such skill that she hadn’t been able to break free no matter how hard she tried—but now, with a single pull and twist, it fell away effortlessly.

Freed from the restraints, Su Qingluo felt much more at ease. And almost immediately, a voice echoed in her heart: It’s over. After seeing her in such a shameful state, he would probably never be able to like her. As for why she thought that, she couldn’t even explain it to herself.

Just then, a guard outside reported, “Master, Zi Yuan has been brought.”

Lu Hengzhi stood and rewrapped the belt around his waist. “Let her in.”