So what if she's my sister-in-law? You seduced me first.

Qinghe got dinner from the small kitchen, and deliberately took an extra steamed bun. While eating, Ningyu secretly and carefully observed the man.

The room was dimly lit, with two candles placed in the north and south corners, casting the man's shadow half in light and half in darkness.

Under the lamplight, her face was otherworldly, as if she were untouched by worldly affairs, giving people a sense of unapproachability. If it weren't for the obvious bloodstains on her clothes, one would think she was a deity from somewhere.

Ning Yu felt that he looked familiar, but she couldn't quite put her finger on where she had seen him before.

Xie Xun easily noticed her gaze and glanced over.

The moment their eyes met, Ning Yu did not look away. She calmly handed over half a bowl of porridge, saying, "Young Master's injuries are serious, so it is not suitable for him to eat these dishes. Just drink some porridge."

The vegetarian food in the temple is served in portions. It's just a small dish to begin with, so it would be a miracle if the assassin who poisoned her could even get half a bowl of porridge.

Xie Xun looked at the half-bowl of rice porridge in front of him, said nothing, and slowly began to eat.

Ning Yu appreciated his tact and didn't say anything more after that.

After dinner, Xie Xun went back to the cramped bathroom to hide. He took off his clothes halfway down to his waist, revealing his hideous wounds.

Blood dripped down his V-line into the basin, and he endured the pain as he wet a silk handkerchief to clean the wound.

After washing up and bandaging himself again, it was getting late. Looking at his dirty clothes, he decided to put them back on.

It was already very late at night. At the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), the Imperial Guards came to search the east wing again. Ning Yu didn't know where Xie Xun had hidden, but she didn't see him. The bathhouse was also clean and tidy.

In fact, when the Imperial Guards came, Xie Xun would hide outside, flipping over the pillars of the long corridor onto the roof to avoid the sentries. Once the patrolmen left, he would climb into the window.

In the dead of night, he lay on the small couch, unable to fall asleep, and sat up, clutching his wound.

The inner room was dark and quiet, and by the moonlight, one could see a woman by the window rubbing her body in the dark.

This was the first time Xie Xun had ever looked at a woman so intently.

She was indeed born with a beautiful face, with milky white skin, her skin was smooth and glistening with water droplets, and her long black hair reached her waist. The red bodice made her waist look even more slender and graceful.

Seemingly sensing something, that exquisitely beautiful face suddenly turned around, her stunning fox-like eyes making even the moon in the sky pale in comparison.

"Who is it?"

Ning Yu grabbed a piece of clothing from the rack and wrapped it around herself, her eyes fixed on the person in the darkness.

Xie Xun slowly walked out, and by the moonlight, Ning Yu could see the appearance of the person who came, and she couldn't help but grit her teeth.

It's that lecherous fellow again.

If she hadn't felt sticky all over and noticed he wasn't there, she wouldn't have taken off her clothes to wipe herself down here.

She didn't dare to take a bath in the bathroom, so she just filled a basin with well water and groped her way there in the dark to wipe her body, but he still managed to take advantage of her.

A lump formed in her throat, and she muttered in a low voice, her face pale, "Who are you trying to scare by hiding there in the middle of the night?"

"I did not mean to disturb you, madam, but the pain from my wound is unbearable, and I would like to borrow your bed to change my clothes."

What?

"It is inappropriate for a man and a woman to share a bed alone. As for clothes, I do not have any men's clothes to change into. Going out to look for them might arouse suspicion. You should make do with what you have."

Xie Xun's voice remained unchanged, "It's hard to fall asleep on the small couch in the bathroom, and wearing these dirty clothes makes my wounds very susceptible to infection."

They've already fallen on hard times, so why be so dramatic? They're so tall, yet they can only curl up on a small couch where she can barely lie down. Just thinking about it makes me feel good.

Ning Yu dressed herself without making a sound, then feigned difficulty, saying, "I have no choice, young master, please bear with it."

"Please have Madam fetch a basin of water to wash my undergarments. The weather is hot now, and they will be dry in less than two hours."

"---" Ning Yu had never seen such a shameless person before, who actually wanted her to do his laundry.

Seeing that she was staring at him without saying a word, Xie Xun went behind the screen, took off his white inner garment, and came out wearing only an outer robe.

Ning Yu gritted her teeth, "Fetching water and doing laundry in the middle of the night will alert the Imperial Guards."

The moment she finished speaking, with a whoosh, the sharp iron concealed weapon seemed to have eyes and shot towards her, severing her hair with perfect accuracy and embedding itself in the pillar behind her.

Ning Yu's eyes widened, her back straightened instantly, and her body trembled slightly.

Xie Xun gave a slight smile. "Thank you for your trouble, Madam."

"---"

She glanced at the hidden weapon out of the corner of her eye and saw that the man had already walked to the bedside and sat down. She took a deep breath, picked up the clothes on the table, and went out to fetch water.

There was a well outside the courtyard. Ning Yu carefully observed the surroundings and only dared to draw water after finding no one around. Afraid of being seen by the patrolling people, she went into the bathhouse to wash.

The man's clothes were stained with blood, but it was easy to tell by touch that they were made of the finest soft satin, with a smooth, mirror-like surface. Someone who could afford such tribute satin must be a nobleman. How could he have become an assassin?

Thinking of how troublesome men are, Ning Yu gritted her teeth, wishing she could tear the clothes in her hands in half.

She grumbled under her breath as she washed the clothes, hung them on the rack by the window, and then opened the window halfway to let the wind blow in.

By the time she finished her work, an incense stick's worth of time had passed. As soon as Ning Yu entered the inner room, she saw the man already lying on the bed.

She flung open the curtains and walked over. "Young master, you eat my food, drink my water, and now you want to take over my bed?"

Xie Xun was not asleep. He slowly opened his eyes and said, "My family has some assets. After we leave, I will give my wife a generous reward."

"---"

Ning Yu didn't want to anger him, but she also didn't want to be so pathetic as to sleep in the bathroom. Just as she was about to say something, suddenly, she heard urgent shouts and fighting sounds outside.

She was startled, not knowing what had happened, and quickly opened the bathroom door, took off the undergarment she was wearing, and threw it to the man.

Xie Xun was standing by the window and looking through the crack when he saw many shadowy figures carrying torches approaching from all around the house.

"Hurry up and put it on, then go find a secluded corner to hide in."

"It's too late."

The man turned around, and before Ning Yu could understand his gaze, she was suddenly grabbed around the waist and thrown onto the bed, clothes and all.

She quickly rolled over and sat up. Seeing that the man had also gotten into bed, she realized his intentions, cursed under her breath, and immediately pulled down the bed curtains.

The next second, the rough, panting voice of the Imperial Guards came from outside, "Princess Consort, are you alright?"

There was no sound from inside. The Imperial Guard kicked open the door and was about to enter the inner room with his sword when he heard the sound of a woman groggily waking up.

Who is it?

"Many skilled assassins have just broken into the temple. Some of the Imperial Guards saw people dressed in black coming this way. I was just conducting a routine check. Please forgive me, Your Highness."

Before Ning Yu could say no to coming in, the group of people opened the door and barged in. She immediately screamed and shouted angrily from inside the curtained room.

"presumptuous."

The deputy commander of the Imperial Guards bowed his head. "The murderer from the night before last has not yet been found, and now, at this critical juncture, assassins have broken into the temple. To ensure the safety of our esteemed guests, His Highness has specifically instructed his subordinates to personally verify their safety."

Ning Yu felt the knife pressed against her waist tighten even more. She said sharply, "I was sleeping, and my clothes were disheveled. How can you barge in like this and damage the reputation of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion?"

The Duke of Dingguo's mansion? Xie Xun's hand, which was holding the woman's waist, moved subtly.