Chapter 98: Bewitched by Desire

When Li Yunli woke up in the morning, the person beside her had already opened his eyes.

Yun Chu had been right. Judging from his performance last night, his injuries must have improved significantly.

However, at the moment, Lord Yun seemed unwilling to turn his face to face the world.

Li Yunli tilted her head slightly and saw that he had turned over, showing her the back of his head.

She curled her lips into a smile. “You performed very well last night. I’m very satisfied.”

Yun Chu remained silent and motionless.

Li Yunli lowered her head and let out a soft chuckle.

Last night, in the heat of the moment, her words had been careless, and she had offended him.

With dim candlelight, Yun Chu had used the scars on his body as an excuse to move the bedside lamp farther away, leaving them to explore mostly by touch.

When Li Yunli ran her fingers over the whip scars on his front and back, most had already scabbed over, and some had even begun to fall off. Feeling a surge of pity, she considered his injuries and initially wanted to reject any intense movements.

Unfortunately, her blunt words had come out rather abruptly, unexpectedly provoking his competitive spirit.

However, while it was easy to please her, fulfilling the high standards of love was not so simple.

Under the dim light, his still-healing wounds inevitably restricted his movements. Yun Chu was unwilling to admit that he hadn’t been able to achieve the same level of satisfaction as that unforgettable night.

Li Yunli pressed her lips together, suppressing a smile.

This morning, her body still felt relaxed and comfortable. The experience hadn’t been bad at all. But the man beside her was obviously sulking.

“Did you not sleep all night, Lord Yun?”

Li Yunli lightly nudged his shoulder.

“You’ve failed in your duties.”

Yun Chu closed his eyes, dark circles visible beneath them.

Li Yunli felt as though a cat’s paw had softly scratched at her heart—neither painful nor itchy, but stirring something inside her.

She watched as he shrank even further into the blanket.

Since spring had arrived, their sleeping garments were thinner. His half-exposed arm lay outside the covers, and Li Yunli reached out to poke him lightly.

“Are your standards really this high?” Her eyes curved in amusement, and her tone softened unconsciously. “You did very well. I liked it a lot.”

However, in Yun Chu’s ears, those words felt no different from humiliation. He promptly buried his face under the blanket.

Li Yunli let out a soft “Eh…”

She had to admit—her tastes might be a little different from others.

Seeing his reaction, she wasn’t angry at all. Instead, she felt an even stronger urge to tease him.

So, she reached out and poked him again. “If you didn’t sleep last night, you should rest a little longer now. Get some extra sleep, alright?”

He ignored her.

Yet, the ears peeking out from the blanket had already turned bright red.

Her eyes widened slightly in curiosity. Was he really this embarrassed?

Feeling rather pleased, Li Yunli got out of bed. She didn’t press him any further but observed him through her peripheral vision as she put on her shoes. Then she sighed, sounding troubled.

“If your injuries truly haven’t healed yet, I won’t be able to go to the palace and request to join the battle today. With no general at my command, what should I do?”

Yun Chu sat up stiffly in bed.

Catching a glimpse of the fish taking the bait, Li Yunli’s smile deepened.

Yun Chu’s voice was calm and steady, but Li Yunli could hear the hint of urgency beneath it. “My injuries are healed. I can request to join the battle.”

“Really?”

Her voice carried a teasing lilt as she turned to look at him.

Yun Chu’s face instantly flushed red, the color creeping down his neck.

As if afraid she would bring up last night again, he didn’t even have the courage to meet her gaze. His eyes betrayed a hint of panic, and he tried to avoid her scrutiny.

“Alright.” Li Yunli grabbed his slightly warm wrist, her tone utterly sincere. “Last night was really good—better than I expected.”

“…Really?”

“Why would I lie about something like this? It’d only hurt me in the end.”

“Then…”

Li Yunli closed her eyes and exaggerated her praise. “Lord Yun, your presence was overwhelmingly majestic.”

Yun Chu lowered his head in silence.

“You don’t have to dwell on this,” she continued. “There’s a lot to be done. If you’re not going back to sleep, get up, and let’s discuss our next steps.”

Yun Chu lifted the covers and got out of bed.

He was beginning to suspect—amidst everything that was happening—was it possible that she hadn’t taken their night together that seriously?

Had he been the only one overly eager?

But… she hadn’t exactly rejected him, either.

Yun Chu took a silent breath, calming himself, and followed her to freshen up.

Her thoughts had always been difficult to read—even in this lifetime.

A maid entered the room carrying a basin of water and some other items. To Yun Chu’s surprise, there was also a small jar among them.

Li Yunli finished washing up and left the jar behind.

Yun Chu assumed it was some kind of skin balm, but after he finished washing up, she pulled him down to sit beside her.

Li Yunli opened the small medicine jar and scooped out a bit of ointment. “Give me your hand.”

Yun Chu instinctively hesitated.

Li Yunli grasped his hand and spread it open, rubbing the ointment into his palm.

He didn’t resist—he was slightly moved.

Li Yunli knew her own strength well. Overnight, the spots where she had struck his palm had turned a little bruised.

Yesterday, she had indeed been furious—so desperate to break through the situation that she had resorted to extreme measures. But at least it had worked, and Yun Chu had responded just as she had hoped.

Even so, a small part of her still felt a bit guilty about it.

As she applied the ointment, she spoke seriously. “Yizhou is the last stronghold of Prince Changling. Beyond that, he’ll have no place left to go. If I submit my request to fight today, we’ll be facing him in no more than three days.”

The sudden shift to military affairs locked away the flicker of warmth Yun Chu had felt moments before.

He sighed inwardly.

So she had already been thinking about strategy last night, hadn’t she?

She was too devoted to the nation and its people, too caught up in her responsibilities. He could only come second.

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. These wounds will heal quickly. Even if they aren’t fully recovered by the time of battle, it won’t be an issue.”

His hands, now warm from the ointment, answered with nothing but official responses.

Li Yunli nodded. “Yizhou’s terrain is complex, with rugged mountain paths. Prince Changling’s family originates from Yizhou, and his influence there runs deep. We must strike unexpectedly and uphold the Emperor’s command to demonstrate the might of the heavens.”

Her mind was a little scattered. She repeated what she had heard in court, hoping it would keep her from dwelling on awkward topics.

But what she didn’t know was that Yun Chu’s thoughts were running in the opposite direction.

He nodded in response. “Yes, with Your Highness’s strategy, we will succeed.”

Yet, in his heart, his thoughts had already drifted elsewhere.

Falling in love with someone so consumed by national affairs… And the worst part? She actually had the ability and the right to bear such burdens, forcing him to take a back seat in her life.

It was truly frustrating.