Many children, many blessings: Stealing the offspring of powerful figures to cultivate immortality.

Jiang Yining's feet were frozen in place.

She turned around and, through her fingers, saw Chu Sikong leaning over the edge of the tub, his chin resting on his arm, facing her.

Because of the steam, his originally pale cheeks were now flushed, and his lips were also red and moist, giving him a shockingly broken look.

"I have no strength in my hands; I even had trouble breathing just now."

Chu Sikong raised one hand with a pitiful expression; his arm was as thin as a bamboo pole, and there was indeed very little flesh on it.

"Sister-in-law, please help me."

"Lord Chu!"

Jiang Yining lowered her hands from her eyes, her face burning.

"I'm your sister-in-law! Men and women shouldn't touch each other. Are you trying to waste all that knowledge you've gained?"

Chu Sikong blinked innocently: "In my heart, my sister-in-law is like my mother. Why can't I let my mother rub my back?"

Jiang Yining was so angry at his twisted logic that she laughed.

"Fine, don't wash it then! You can soak it yourself!"

Jiang Yining turned to leave.

"Cough cough cough..."

Another heart-wrenching cough erupted behind me.

"Why……"

Then came the sound of a heavy object hitting the wooden barrel, as if someone had slipped and fallen.

Jiang Yining's heart skipped a beat.

This blind man is frail; could he have really fainted?

Jiang Yining turned around and rushed to the bucket in a few steps.

Chu Sikong slid down, his head almost completely submerged in the water, his hands still flailing wildly.

"Are you out of your mind?!"

Jiang Yining was so frightened that she forgot all about the proper separation between men and women, grabbed his wet arm, and lifted him up forcefully.

Chu Sikong used the water to surface, panting heavily. Water droplets slid down his delicate collarbone and disappeared into the water.

He grabbed Jiang Yining's wrist with his other hand.

He just said he had no strength, but now his grip is incredibly strong.

"Sister-in-law..."

He tilted his head back, his eyes brimming with spring water.

"I knew it, my sister-in-law wouldn't want me to die."

This was the first time in his life he had ever been so close to a woman.

And this person is his sister-in-law.

Jiang Yining tried to pull her hand back, but couldn't.

"Let go!"

"Not loose."

Chu Sikong not only didn't let go, but instead went even further, rubbing his face against the back of her hand like a satisfied cat.

"My sister-in-law's hands are so soft."

Jiang Yining felt a tingling sensation travel up the back of her hand, and half of her body went numb.

This is no sickly, innocent girl; this is clearly a male fox spirit in sheep's clothing!

What exactly does he want to do?

"Lord Chu, what time is it now? How can you still be acting so recklessly!"

"If you don't let go, I'll shove your head underwater!"

Jiang Yining threatened viciously.

Chu Sikong chuckled softly, finally letting go of her hand, but instead handed her a cloth.

"Then sister-in-law, please help me rub my back. I'll get up as soon as you're done, and I won't bother you at all."

He turned around, his back to Jiang Yining, completely exposing his slender yet beautifully shaped back to her.

Apart from a few old scars on his back, his skin was so white it was almost transparent, and his spine protruded slightly, rising and falling with his breathing.

Jiang Yining held the cloth, looking at the unsuspecting back, her mind in turmoil.

Finally, she sighed resignedly.

This guy's been acting crazy tonight, if I don't give in to him...

Oh well, I'll just treat it as a bath for my dog!

Jiang Yining soaked a cloth and haphazardly wiped his back a few times.

"Are you done yet? If you are, get up quickly!"

"Sister-in-law, a little to the left...yes, right there, it's a bit itchy."

Chu Sikong leaned back slightly, his head almost resting against Jiang Yining's chest.

Jiang Yining had no choice but to lean back, her arms outstretched, in an extremely awkward posture.

"I really envy my brother, he's so lucky to have married such a wonderful wife as his sister-in-law."

Chu Sikong lowered his voice and clenched his fist underwater.

Jealousy was like a venomous snake, gnawing at his heart.

He was the one who met her first, he was the one who...

Chu Sikong suddenly turned around, splashing water in the process.

With a splash, water droplets soaked Jiang Yining.

Before Jiang Yining could react, Chu Sikong's wet hand had already touched her cheek.

Jiang Yining could almost feel those two burning gazes.

"Jiang Yining".

This was the first time Chu Sikong had called her by her full name; his voice was hoarse, carrying emotions he had suppressed for a long time.

"If it weren't for your older brother, would you...?"

"Bang—!"

A loud bang shattered the enchanting atmosphere that filled the room.

The carved wooden window of the bathroom was kicked open from the outside, sending wood chips flying everywhere.

A gust of cold wind blew in, dispersing the heat that filled the room.

A silver-white figure leaped in like a roc spreading its wings, creating a gust of wind upon landing and overturning the clothes rack next to it.

"Lord Chu!"

Bai Ze, clad in silver armor, stood on the windowsill, his hand resting on his sword, exuding a murderous aura.

Those once affectionate peach blossom eyes were now wide open like copper bells, staring at the two people almost pressed together on the edge of the bathtub.

Especially when he saw Chu Sikong's hand still resting on Jiang Yining's face, Bai Ze felt like his head was about to burst into flames.

"You blind fool!"

Bai Ze drew his sword, its tip pointing directly at Chu Sikong in the bucket, his voice trembling with rage.

"I was clearing your brother's name upfront, and you were seducing your sister-in-law behind the scenes?!"

"Get your filthy hands off me! Or I'll chop them off and feed them to the dogs right now!"

Jiang Yining: "..."

Before Chu Sikong could withdraw his hand, he provocatively dabbed Jiang Yining's lips with his thumb.

Then he slowly turned his head, and although he couldn't see, he accurately aligned his face with Bai Ze's direction.

A weak yet irritating smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"General Bai has quite a temper."

"This is the inner quarters of the Chu residence. General Bai broke in through the window in the dead of night, and even wanted to watch me bathe..."

Chu Sikong shrank back into the water, adopting a victim-like posture.

"If word gets out, it might damage General Bai's reputation."

"You! You weakling! Who wants to watch you take a bath?!"

Jiang Yining watched this scene and felt a buzzing pain in her head.

The air inside the bathroom seemed to freeze.

Bai Ze held his sword, his face as black as the bottom of a pot.

Chu Sikong, however, remained calm inside the bucket and slowly uttered, "General Bai, do not look at what is improper."

He's not afraid of being chopped up at all; he might even be happy if someone did.

There are places where people play the victim.

"Screw you!"

Bai Ze was furious. He twirled his longsword, ready to slash, yelling, "I'll chop you up today, you blind bastard! You dare flirt with your sister-in-law? You don't want to live anymore?"

"stop!"

Jiang Yining felt her head throbbing, as if someone was banging drums and gongs inside.

She stepped between the two, blocking Bai Ze's sword.

"Bai Ze, this is the Chu residence, not your military camp! Put your sword away!"

Bai Ze, seeing the woman blocking his way, stamped his feet anxiously: "Ningning! I saw this kid being indecent to you just now! What he did was..."

"That was the love of an elder sister-in-law, like a mother."

Chu Sikong chimed in from behind, his voice weak and innocent: "General Bai's thoughts are filthy; he sees everything as dirty."

"You!" Bai Ze was so angry he wanted to smash the bathtub.

Jiang Yining took a deep breath and told herself that she couldn't collapse, she absolutely couldn't collapse.

There's a deadly knife hanging over his head.

"Bai Ze, it was wrong of you to climb in through the window in the middle of the night."

Jiang Yining had a cold face.

Bai Ze choked, his momentum instantly weakening by half.

He sheathed his sword, scratched his head, and said somewhat awkwardly, "I just... heard you went to the palace, and I was worried that the mad dog emperor might do something to you, so I came to see you."

As he spoke, he looked Jiang Yining up and down, his gaze lingering on the red marks on her neck, his pupils suddenly contracting.

"He actually laid a hand on you?!"

Bai Ze drew his sword again: "I'm going to chop him down right now!"

"stop!"

Jiang Yining grabbed his wristband and said irritably, "Are you going to your death? That's the imperial palace, there are imperial guards. Do you think you can break through the imperial city by yourself?"

"I can't let you suffer this injustice!" Bai Ze's eyes were red.

"Alright, stop making things worse."

Jiang Yining released her grip and rubbed her temples wearily: "If you really want to help me, keep what you saw tonight to yourself."

She glanced at Chu Sikong in the bathtub, then at Bai Ze.

"You two, one a great general, the other a weak scholar, sharing a room to bathe late at night—does that sound good?"

For some reason, Jiang Yining blurted out something sly and absolved herself of responsibility.

Bai Ze blushed and glared at Chu Sikong: "Who wants to look at this boiled chicken!"

Not to be outdone, Chu Sikong, though blind, unleashed his full sarcasm: "If General Bai envies my fair skin, just say so."

"roll!"

Jiang Yining couldn't stand these two childish brats any longer. Pointing to the window, she said to Bai Ze, "You, go back the way you came. If anyone finds out, don't ever say you know me again."

He then pointed at Chu Sikong and said, "You, hurry up and get dressed and go back to sleep. If you dare to make another sound, I'll deduct your food allowance."

Bai Ze climbed onto the windowsill with a pitiful expression, not forgetting to turn back and threaten before leaving: "Blind man, you just wait, this isn't over!"

After saying that, he leaped into the air and disappeared into the night.

The house is finally quiet.

Jiang Yining threw the dry clothes on Chu Sikong's head, turned her back to him, and said, "Come out! Put your clothes on."

"I know you take care of yourself too!"

I heard the rustling sound of clothes being put on behind me.

Not long after, Chu Sikong walked up behind her, leaning on his bamboo cane. He probably sensed her low mood and didn't dare to cause any more trouble this time.

"Sister-in-law, you can rest now. Why don't you stay and keep me company a little longer..."

"Say one more word and I'll send you to the countryside!"

Chu Sikong shut his mouth, obediently bowed, and groped his way to lie down on the bed.

Jiang Yining finally let out a long breath, left his room, and closed the door behind her.

This was a really tiring day.

Tyrant, blind man, brute—none of them are easy to deal with.