Shocking! The actress was dragged to the regent's bedchamber every night.

Su Wuli looked up and could see the sky, suddenly feeling as if she were completely exposed.

She glanced toward the bamboo fence, which was densely woven, but she still had a feeling that someone might be behind it.

"No one will see us here, right?" Her voice was soft and weak from the steam.

"Have you seen anyone else here today?" Yu Chen asked her, standing by the pool.

Upon hearing this, Su Wuli was taken aback.

Since entering the resort, apart from those few people, we haven't seen anyone else.

She couldn't help but glance at the bamboo fence again.

The wind blew through the gaps in the bamboo fence, carrying the scent of grass and trees.

There was no human voice.

Su Wuli stood by the pool, dawdling, her fingers clenching and unclenching inside her sleeves.

Yu Chen's gaze shifted from her face to her fingers clutching her sleeve, and he spoke softly, "Wait for me to help you undress?"

His voice fell low and deep, with a slight upward inflection at the end.

It carries an ambiguous meaning.

As soon as she finished speaking, Su Wuli's face flushed.

She turned her back to him, her fingers trembled slightly, and then she untied the belt of her outer garment.

Her outer garment slipped off her shoulders and draped to her side; she was wearing a tube top and shorts.

The steam caused it to stick to the body.

Even though she was facing away from him, Su Wuli could still feel the man's gaze on her.

She squatted down, holding onto the stones by the pool, and dipped her feet slightly into the water.

The water temperature is just right.

Su Wuli slowly slid down, the water reaching her ankles and then her calves...

She then let go and allowed herself to slide into the water.

The water reached his shoulders, only his neck and a bright red face were visible.

She looked up and met the man's slightly lowered eyes.

He slowly raised his hand and untied the sash of his outer robe.

His dark robe slipped off his shoulder and was casually draped over her skirt.

The inner garment was unbuttoned, revealing the collarbone, chest, waist, and abdomen...

His skin was tinged with a pale honey color by the twilight, and his muscles were well-defined and sculpted.

Each piece grew where it was supposed to grow.

When bending over to take off her boots, the shape of her shoulder blades rolls under her skin like two folded wings.

Su Wuli shifted her gaze and stared at the water.

Steam rose from the water, making it all hazy and impossible to see anything clearly.

After a short while, she couldn't help but shift her gaze back.

The man's calloused fingers were hooked around his waistband.

Su Wuli saw the V-line on her lower abdomen, which extended down from her waist and disappeared into the edge of the fabric.

I can't help but think back to those nights...

His fingers gripped her waist, leaving red marks on her skin with his rough fingertips.

When he was on top of her, she always liked to put her hands on his waist and touch his V-line.

Starting from the ribs and moving down...

Thinking of these things, Su Wuli's face flushed even more.

He quickly lowered his head and buried half of his face in the water, leaving only his eyes showing.

Bubbles were coming out of her nose, making a gurgling sound.

When Yu Chen entered the water, the surface of the water rippled.

The water rippled from the center of the pool to both sides, hitting the pool walls and bouncing back, in circles.

Su Wuli was pushed towards the pool wall by the water, and she reached out to hold onto the stone by the pool to steady herself.

The man sat down next to her; the water reached his chest, revealing his shoulders and collarbone.

Water droplets slid down his collarbone, following the lines of his chest and disappearing into the water.

Su Wuli swallowed hard and awkwardly turned her gaze back to the water.

The water was still rippling, and her reflection was shattered into pieces in the water.

On the stone slab by the pond are the things that Chuhe brought in earlier.

Several plates of fruits, neatly cut and arranged.

There were also snacks and a pot of wine on the side.

The wine pot is made of white porcelain and is being kept warm in hot water.

Thin wisps of white steam rose from the spout.

Yu Chen reached out and took the wine pot out of the water, then poured himself a cup.

The wine flowing from the spout carries a faint aroma of rice.

He picked up his glass, took a sip, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

Su Wuli shifted her gaze from the wine glass to the surface of the water.

The pool water was clear, and you could see your own feet underwater, with your toes slightly curled up.

She stared at the water, not daring to look at him, but in her peripheral vision, his face was faintly visible through the mist.

It was as if there was a thin veil between them, adding a touch of something indescribable compared to usual.

The mist drifted over the man's shoulder, around his chin, and stopped at the corner of his mouth.

Su Wuli stared at the spot where the mist had stopped, unable to look away for a moment.

"What are you afraid of?" His voice came through the steam.

"I'm not afraid," she replied, sinking her shoulders into the water.

The water instantly submerged her collarbone and reached her neck.

As soon as he moved, his foot accidentally touched his calf underwater.

She recoiled as if she had been burned.

Then she lifted her hand out of the water and tried to move to the side while holding onto the pool wall.

However, before she could even move her feet, the man's hand had already gripped her ankle.

The water rippled, and he pulled her feet out of the water and placed them on his lap.

The water slid down her insteps, flowed over his thighs, and dripped back into the pool with a soft sound.

But to Su Wuli's ears, it sounded as if it were magnified infinitely.

She looked down at her foot, which he was holding, and instinctively tried to pull it back.

Useless.

"Why are you hiding?" His voice was low and husky, and his moist fingertips gently rubbed against her ankle.

Su Wuli turned her face to one side, staring at the stone lantern on the bamboo fence as if trying to hide her gaze.

The dim, yellowish light cast the shadows of the bamboo on the ground.

She opened her mouth as if to say that she hadn't dodged, but only managed to utter a very soft whisper.

Yu Chen remained silent and did not ask any further questions, his fingers still rubbing against her ankle, his rough fingertips deliberately brushing against that thin skin.

The curled-up toes slowly loosened.

She didn't know when her toes had come loose; she only knew that his hand was still on them.

The intense heat spread from her ankles upwards, over her calves, knees, and thighs...

Su Wuli felt her mouth was parched and buried her face in her arms.

The mist was still drifting on the water, and the man's face was faintly visible in the steam.

She dared not look, but couldn't help peeking through the gap in her arms.

But their eyes met and they were caught red-handed.

That direct gaze pierced through the mist and landed on her, and Su Wuli seemed to freeze instantly.

They forgot to hide, and they forgot to look away.

"If Ah Wu doesn't look at me, who else does she want to look at?" His voice wasn't loud, but it came through the steam, deep and imposing.

Like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, the ripples spread out in concentric circles, like iron chains binding her.

"I—" She opened her mouth but didn't finish her sentence.

Then they shifted their gaze from his face to the water's surface, or perhaps to the stone lanterns on the shore.

She just didn't dare to slap it back onto his face.

Yu Chen released his hand from her ankle, and a soft splash of water followed.

He raised his hand and stretched it out over the water.

He placed his fingertips on Su Wuli's chin and turned her face towards him.

She was forced to face him, but her gaze remained lowered, fixed on the mark on his collarbone that was damp with moisture.

His large hand moved from her chin to her forehead and gently pressed it.

Su Wuli raised her head and finally met his deep eyes.

The sound of water flowing gently in came from the bamboo pipe.

The mist drifted between the two people, dissipating and then drifting back.

The two looked at each other through the steam, neither of them speaking.

The light from the stone lanterns by the pond shone down, casting the shadows of the two people onto the water's surface, overlapping so that it was impossible to tell who was who.