Qin Zheng instinctively avoided his gaze, but he had already pulled her along, taking steady steps forward.

His voice was neither hurried nor slow, “Let’s go back.”

The lingering tone of his voice seemed to hook into her heart.

Qin Zheng had said those words purely to tease him, seeing how calm and collected he had been all along the way.

But Chu Chengji’s sudden remark, coupled with the look he gave her earlier, instantly shifted her emotions from being anxious for herself to being concerned for Qin Zheng herself.

Go back?

Those two words, spoken in such a cold tone, why did they evoke such vivid imaginings?

As they entered the stronghold, the commotion caused a chorus of barking dogs.

Aunt Lu, who was getting old and woke up at the slightest noise, cried when she saw Qin Zheng return.

After a night of turmoil, Chu Chengji still had the scent of blood on him.

It was impossible for him to sleep without washing up first.

Aunt Lu went to boil water in the kitchen and brought in a tub for bathing.

Chu Chengji probably had something to discuss with Lin Yao and went to his side, so Qin Zheng took the opportunity to bathe.

When Aunt Lu came in to replenish the water, she saw bruises on Qin Zheng’s back, and she wiped away tears several times with her sleeve. “You poor girl, being caught by those ruthless bandits…”

Qin Zheng’s fair skin was as white as snow.

Normally, even a slight bump would leave a mark. Not to mention this time when she had collided with the carriage, the bruise looked quite shocking.

Aunt Lu obviously misunderstood something and couldn’t stop her tears.

How many women who entered the bandits’ den could return safely?

Just thinking about it made Aunt Lu feel sorry for Qin Zheng.

Even if this girl was beautiful, encountering such a thing, how could her husband not be deeply troubled?

How would this young couple live their lives in the future?

Seeing Aunt Lu’s misunderstanding, Qin Zheng said gently, “Auntie, I wasn’t mistreated. The injury on my back was from bumping into the carriage on the way back.”

Aunt Lu was overwhelmed when she saw the injuries on Qin Zheng’s body.

After all, everyone in the bandits’ den was a bad character.

A few years ago, before she followed her son to Two Yan Mountain, the bandits raided their village. Not even the older women were spared.

Now, seeing Qin Zheng speak like this and noticing that there were no other injuries on her body, and that she had changed into fine clothes, she didn’t look like someone who had been abused.

A huge stone fell from her heart, and she clasped her hands together, murmuring, “Blessings from the Buddha, blessings from the Buddha…”

After replenishing the water, as Aunt Lu was about to leave, she knew that Qin Zheng was thin-skinned but still reminded her, “Madam, I see that your husband is quite reserved. There’s nothing you can’t talk openly about between husband and wife. If he doesn’t ask, and you don’t tell, if there’s a misunderstanding, it’s not worth it.”

This was her way of suggesting that Qin Zheng should tell Chu Chengji about her experiences these past few days.

After Aunt Lu left, Qin Zheng sat alone in the tub for a while, lost in thought.

Actually, Aunt Lu’s reaction was the normal one.

Compared to that, Chu Chengji’s calm demeanor all the way back seemed a bit too serene.

She had been trapped by Shen Yanzhi in the courtyard for several days, and he hadn’t mentioned it at all.

Qin Zheng had already started a conversation on the way back, but he still didn’t inquire further.

Actually, Qin Zheng didn’t know whether he didn’t care or didn’t want to ask.

Raising her hand, she scooped up a handful of water and poured it onto her shoulder.

Her long lashes half-drooped in the candlelight, lost in thought.

---

When Chu Chengji returned, Qin Zheng had already finished bathing and was in the room wringing out her hair with a clean cotton cloth.

She was wearing an oversized single-layer garment, loosely tied at the waist with a knot.

Her long hair was pulled to one side, revealing her slender and fair neck, which seemed to emit a soft glow under the dim light.

Hearing the sound of the door being pushed open, she looked towards the doorway.

Her eyes were like autumn water, clear and cold yet with a hint of tenderness, and being swept by her gaze felt like someone was lightly brushing feathers across one’s heart, causing an inexplicable itchiness.

“Husband you’re back,” she continued wringing her hair with the cloth, and a strand brushed against her delicate neck, slipping into her collar.

“Mm.” Chu Chengji responded lightly, carrying the chill from outside.

His dim gaze shifted away from her, placing a bottle of ointment on the table. “This is a ointment for reducing swelling and promoting blood circulation. Let Aunt Lu help you apply it later.”

Qin Zheng was a bit puzzled. “How did Sir know I had an injury on my back?”

Did Aunt Lu tell him?

But he had just returned from outside. It seemed more like… he had gone to the old doctor’s place to get medicine before going out.

“Lin Zhao mentioned it on the boat earlier.”

Qin Zheng couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy when Chu Chengji answered her with a somewhat chilly tone.

She carefully recalled and realized that his attitude had become a bit colder since she woke up on the boat.

Qin Zheng couldn’t help but feel that something was wrong.

Could it be that he interrogated Lin Zhao about what happened at the other courtyard while she was asleep on the boat?

What exactly did Lin Zhao tell him? Shen Yanzhi sent her things every now and then, and that day he insisted on her accompanying him for a meal…

if these things reached Chu Chengji’s ears…

Qin Zheng subtly sized him up and then, with her fingertips pinching the cloth wringing her hair, said, “Aunt Lu should be resting by now. I’ll let her help me apply the medicine tomorrow.”

This was a way of indirectly asking him to help apply the medicine.

Chu Chengji’s gaze softened slightly, looking at her meaningfully for a while.

Then he unscrewed the bottle cap of the medicine, his voice calm, “Your clothes.”

Although she was the one who initiated the request, when he said those two words, Qin Zheng’s eyelashes still trembled slightly.

Her fingers, like spring onions, gently untied the belt of her garment.

The oversized nightgown slipped down, hanging loosely between her elbows, barely covering the lower part of her body.

Only half of her flawless back was exposed, with her dark hair gathered in front of her chest.

The sky-blue garment tie was tied into a delicate knot behind her snowy white neck, revealing two exquisite and beautiful butterfly bones, with one area the size of a palm covered in bruises.

Chu Chengji’s brows furrowed instantly.

As he poured the medicinal oil from the bottle and massaged it onto her back, his voice grew heavier. “Why didn’t you mention it on the way?”

The oil brought a cool sensation, but his palms were burning hot.

Qin Zheng’s back was already sensitive, so the sudden contact with the cold oil, followed by the warmth of his palm pressing against the bruise, made her tremble slightly.

Unconsciously, she tightened her grip on the cloth she was using to wring out her hair.

She knew he was asking about the injury on her back, so she hesitated for a moment before replying, “It was just a bump. It didn’t hurt much at first, so I thought it wasn’t a big deal and didn’t say anything.”

“Didn’t it hurt when you were bouncing on the horse?”

This sentence, spoken from his lips, sounded somewhat cold.

As his scalding palm continued to massage the medicine into her back, Qin Zheng belatedly realized that her softness and warmth seemed to have no effect on him.

Was he annoyed that she got injured and didn’t tell him?

Qin Zheng bit her lip and said, “Seeing Husband happy, I didn’t feel the pain.”

At that moment, the hand massaging the medicine on her back paused for a moment.

With his back turned to Chu Chengji, Qin Zheng couldn’t see the expression on his face, but the hand gripping her shoulder tightened slightly. “Wait until you’re healed, then talk to me about these things.”

A hint of warmth suddenly rose on Qin Zheng’s face.

He had seen through all her little schemes.

Since he had already noticed her intentions, Qin Zheng said, “Husband, don’t you want to ask me about my days in the other courtyard?”

This was also a way of trying to find out how much he had learned from Lin Zhao.

Chu Chengji’s large palm continued to massage her back, not too lightly nor too heavily.

After massaging for a while, the skin on Qin Zheng’s back had already heated up.

Chu Chengji’s other hand held her shoulder, preventing her from moving randomly.

His tone sounded somewhat indifferent. “There’s nothing worth asking.”

When she nodded to follow him onto the carriage, none of this mattered anymore.

Qin Zheng hesitated for a moment before speaking, “My relationship with Prince Shen was severed when I entered the Eastern Palace.

In the other courtyard, besides having an unpleasant meal with him once, I haven’t seen him again.

He sent me many books and pets, but I haven’t read them. The pets he sent were just for fun, as Lin Zhao was playing with them.”

She didn’t mention the feelings that were still unclear.

Considering that they were still technically husband and wife, Qin Zheng felt it necessary to make things clear.

Regardless of what he thought, at least she had to make her attitude clear.

The Crown Prince Consort was also a rational person.

In the original book, although she still couldn’t let go of Shen Yanzhi in her heart, she had no further contact with him after entering the Eastern Palace.

So, saying that her ties with Shen Yanzhi were severed when she entered the Eastern Palace wasn’t wrong.

As Chu Chengji listened to her words, his gaze darkened slightly.

Having a meal? Gifting rare books? Sending pets?

The corners of his mouth involuntarily formed a straight line, and he uttered a somewhat cold “Mm,” his tone even colder than before.

The medicinal oil on his hands had almost dried up.

The skin on Qin Zheng’s back, especially around the bruise, had turned slightly red due to his continuous massage.

Against her entire smooth and white back, it became even more captivating.

When he withdrew his hand, his knuckles lightly brushed against the other side of her butterfly bone, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

Due to being exposed to the air for a while, Qin Zheng’s back was a bit cold.

When Chu Chengji’s hand brushed over it, Qin Zheng trembled slightly.

The delicate tie at the back of her neck swayed, much like the precarious string in her mind.

Chu Chengji’s eyes seemed bottomless.

He gently closed them, suppressing all the dark thoughts in his heart, and reached out to pull up the loose nightshirt hanging on Qin Zheng’s arm.

“You rest first. I’ll go take a bath.”

When he opened his eyes again, they had regained their clarity.

He capped the bottle of medicine and stood up to leave the room.

Qin Zheng nodded as she tied her belt.

The events of tonight might have carried a hint of seduction, but Chu Chengji’s behavior… seemed too virtuous.

He really was just applying medicine.

Qin Zheng couldn’t quite determine her own mood at the moment.

Was she relieved that she didn’t have to worry about how to refuse if things went too far? Or was she frustrated that he didn’t seem to be affected by her at all?

“The kitchen has hot water ready,” she dryly instructed before squeezing the water out of her hair and laying on the bed with a complicated mood.

Was he really not interested?

Qin Zheng pulled the blanket up to her chin, leaving only her head exposed as she stared blankly at the canopy above.

If it was Chu Chengji, couldn’t they have a platonic romance? After all, she had a period in her previous life where she found eunuch literature quite adorable.

Imagine those stories with Chu Chengji’s face… Hm, it would be quite intriguing.

After Chu Chengji left the room, he didn’t go to the kitchen for a hot bath as expected.

Instead, he directly bathed in the tub filled with cold water.

The image that lingered in his mind was her snowy white back and the delicate tie at the back of her neck.

His heart burned, his throat parched.

As another bucket of cold water poured over him, he closed his eyes heavily.

It wasn’t the right time.

Half an hour later, he returned.

Qin Zheng had already fallen asleep, and there was only a small piece of candle left burning on the table.

He didn’t bother extinguishing the candle.

After bathing in cold water, he didn’t get under the covers either.

He just sat on the edge of the bed, unabashedly admiring her exquisite beauty by the dim light of the almost burnt-out candle.

The blanket she had pulled up to her chin was now scattered all over the place due to her tossing and turning.

Her loose nightshirt slid down further, revealing her delicate clavicle and a corner of the light blue undershirt.

The slender tie of the undershirt extended to the back of her neck, nestled among her black hair and fair skin.

At her delicate collarbone, there was a tiny red mole, like a droplet of blood seeping out after being pricked by a needle.

As Chu Chengji helped her adjust her collar, his fingertips lingered on the red mole on her collarbone, gently caressing it twice.

His dark eyes were filled with a profound chill.

With a final sizzle, the candle on the table burned out, plunging the room into complete darkness.