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

Su Wuli's lips moved, and she finally managed to squeeze out a few words.

"...They said...the assassination wasn't an ordinary assassination..."

"Hmm," Yu Chen responded, releasing his grip on her chin.

He then used his fingertips to press lightly on the reddened area on her chin, as if confirming something.

"Yu Linxi is lucky. The arrow missed by half an inch, and the poison was neutralized in time. He won't die."

His tone made it impossible to tell whether he was relieved or regretful.

Yu Linxi?

Su Wuli's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this.

Her brows furrowed slightly. This name... she felt like she'd heard it somewhere before?

My mind was a jumbled mess, and I couldn't immediately recall where I had seen or heard of it before.

She blurted out instinctively, "That...assassin..."

"He's dead," Yu Chen interrupted her. "He committed suicide while still alive."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across her face, as if he could see through the unspoken doubt she had. "They're all dead, clean."

They're all dead... clean.

These words sent a chill down Su Wuli's spine.

When did he commit suicide? Was it after he passed away?

Su Wuli dared not think too deeply, and looked up to meet those eyes that seemed to see into people's hearts.

Yu Chen seemed to understand her fear at that moment.

He didn't explain, but simply withdrew his hand from her chin.

He then used that hand to casually brush aside a stray strand of hair from her cheek, the movement somewhat rough.

"Afraid of me?"

Su Wuli's throat tightened, and she wanted to shake her head, but her neck was too stiff to move.

Should she be afraid?

A man who might kill his emperor, who might control life and death, and whose mind is deep and unpredictable?

Yet it was precisely this man who could miraculously calm her down when she was afraid.

Although she was often forced to settle down.

A mix of complex emotions overwhelmed her, and she couldn't distinguish them.

Yu Chen looked at her and twitched the corner of his mouth, making it impossible to tell whether it was mockery or something else.

"It's good to be afraid," he whispered, as if talking to himself.

It was as if he was saying to her, "This place was never meant for you."

As soon as he finished speaking, the flame of the oil lamp suddenly went out.

The tent was plunged into darkness in an instant, and Su Wuli subconsciously held her breath.

The loss of vision makes other senses more acute.

The lingering scent of blood on his body remained.

In the darkness, an arm wrapped around her waist, and with a little effort, he lifted her onto the low couch and placed her on the inside.

The animal hide rug was soft and cool.

He lay down on the outside, and as before, he crossed his arm and put it around her waist, drawing her into his territory.

A thin blanket was pulled over and placed over the two of them.

"Go to sleep." He closed his eyes.

Su Wuli lay beside him, her eyes wide open in the darkness.

That smell is impossible to escape.

It was clearly very faint, yet Su Wuli's nose was incredibly sensitive even with her eyes closed.

It seeped into her lungs, making her stomach tighten.

He couldn't help but think of the person who was on the verge of death in front of Yu Chen.

A person whose human form is indistinct...

The thin blanket covering him and his body heat couldn't stop the chill from seeping in.

She subconsciously moved her body back little by little, wanting to get further away from him.

However, she had barely moved an inch when the arm around her waist suddenly tightened.

"Can't sleep?" Yu's deep voice rang out in the darkness.

Su Wuli froze, unable to move, her voice muffled in her throat.

"No……"

In the darkness, Yu Chen turned to the side.

Even though she couldn't see it, she could feel that gaze on her face.

"Why are you shaking?" he asked, his voice getting closer.

"It's cold..." Su Wuli made up an excuse and buried her face in the blanket.

Yu Chen didn't speak, but you could tell that his gaze hadn't left his face.

Suddenly, her hand was grasped by the man's large hand.

Su Wuli's hands were icy cold, and her palms were a little damp.

"Tell the truth." Yu Chen squeezed her fingers, not hard, but with a warning in his voice.

Su Wuli was extremely flustered, and her fingertips trembled slightly in his palm.

He opened his lips guiltily, "...It's really nothing."

"Su Wuli." He called her name, his voice deepening, "I don't have the patience to guess."

As soon as she finished speaking, she felt a weight on her.

The man flipped over and pinned her down, bracing himself on either side of her with his arms.

In the darkness, his silhouette was blurred, but the omnipresent sense of oppression instantly overwhelmed her.

The rusty, fishy smell grew even stronger.

"Not going to talk?" He lowered his head, his breath brushing against her forehead. "Then you can forget about sleeping."

His knee pressed between her legs.

Su Wuli was so frightened that she almost stopped breathing, knowing that he was not joking.

"I...I'll tell you..." Her voice trembled, choked with sobs, and she couldn't hold back any longer, "You...you smell..."

Yu Chen paused in his movements.

"What does it taste like?" The voice was devoid of emotion.

"...Blood." Su Wuli closed her eyes and said softly, in a defiant tone, "I feel sick from the smell... I can't sleep..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the tent became eerily quiet.

The only sound was the sound of their breathing mingling.

Her haste, his calm.

After a long while, Yu Chen let out a low "tsk".

"Spoiled." He uttered two words, it was unclear whether he was scolding or something else.

After saying that, he propped himself up and got off her.

The weight and warmth beside her suddenly disappeared, and Su Wuli was stunned for a moment, curling up and not daring to move.

A faint sound came from the darkness; he had gotten out of bed.

Then came the soft sound of flint striking, and a flame appeared, lighting a new oil lamp on the low table.

The tent was filled with a warm, yellow light again.

Yu Chen stood in the light with his back to her.

He didn't change his clothes inside the tent, but went straight to the door, lifted the curtain, and went out.

A bit of cold air rushed in, only to be blocked as the curtain fell.

As Su Wuli lay on the couch, the tension in her heart slowly eased.

The irritating fishy smell on the tip of his nose seemed to fade away as he left.

She pulled the blanket up to wrap herself tightly and turned to face the tent wall.

The tent fell silent, and Su Wuli lay awake with her eyes wide open.

Is he angry?

My mind was racing with random thoughts, and I belatedly felt a sense of fear.

She would never have dared to say it if he hadn't forced her.

As time passed, I felt increasingly uncertain, and I was afraid that Yu Chen might not come back.

It's dark now, so no one else should be coming, right?

Just when Su Wuli thought he might not come back, the curtain was lifted.

Yu Chen walked in.

She changed into a clean white undergarment, her hair still wet and dripping, with a few strands of black hair sticking to her forehead and neck.

Water droplets slid down the defined jawline and disappeared into the collar.

His stern face appeared exceptionally clear and cold under the oil lamp.

The smell of blood on my body was completely gone, replaced by the clean scent of water after washing.

It also has a very faint, refreshing scent of soapberry.

He turned around, lowered the curtain, walked to the bedside, and extinguished the candle.

Without looking at her, he simply lifted the blanket and lay down inside.

He crossed his arm and draped it over her waist, pulling her closer to him.