Chapter 45

The seductive, shadowy state preceptor might scare her off.

Desire swirled in the depths of her eyes as Lu Yihuan gazed at the paper crane resting quietly in her palm. A slight squeeze, and it would crumple in her grasp—just like the person before her.

She lifted her gaze, using the cover of night to conceal the malice surging beneath her dark eyes. It poured forth like a relentless cascade from the heights of a mountain peak, washing the figure below clean away.

The water crashed heavily with tremendous force, dislodging the person from the rocks in mere moments before sweeping them into the current, vanishing without a trace.

Lu Yihuan had no doubt that if Jiang Li so much as brushed against this desire now, she would turn and abandon her without hesitation, just as she had after that fateful night.

Having fought and won countless battles, Lu Yihuan knew well that ultimate victory demanded not only steadfast perseverance but also well-timed temptation and vulnerability at key moments.

If you didn’t tempt them, how would the enemy take the bait?

If you didn’t show weakness, why would the enemy let down their guard?

Thus, Lu Yihuan buried that heavy desire behind her usual calm gaze, revealing only a faint, joyful smile that anyone could see bespoke her delight.

It danced across her brows and eyes, her pleased expression leaping in the lantern light reflecting off the lake’s surface, flickering shadows intertwining in a lively rhythm.

How beautiful.

The cold glacier that was her usual demeanor melted as she regarded the paper crane in her hand, revealing the warm spring waters it had concealed all along—gushing forth, spilling over firm ridges and soft red lips.

Her typically aloof features softened, the candle flames flickering in the night, mirrored on the lake and casting a gentle glow on the woman’s subtly curved lips. Ripples of waterlight softened Lu Yihuan’s everyday aura.

The firelight leaped in pulses, rolling within her black pupils like a vibrant dancer, lending an unexpected flush to her cheeks.

It was a Lu Yihuan utterly different from any Jiang Li had seen before.

No. Jiang Li stared dazedly at the way the light played across her face, memories of that night flooding her mind.

She had seen this before.

That night, Lu Yihuan had been the same—spring waters flowing freely, cheeks dotted with sweet dew. After her black eyes were washed by it, they had taken on a hue of desire.

Captivating. Seductive.

Jiang Li had lost herself so easily, entangling with her through the night without realizing it.

“Of course it counts as caring,” Lu Yihuan said. She had never known her own voice could soften like this; even she paused, startled by the tenderness in her words.

Jiang Li, too, was entranced by the gentle female voice carried on the night breeze. Waves rippled in her eyes, her fingertips digging lightly into her knuckles, her red lips parting slightly.

Was she such a sucker for a pretty face?

She touched her ear tips, flushed rosy from the woman before her, trembling under her fingers. The night was fine, the breeze cool, but Jiang Li felt overheated because of her.

Those soft words were like tea at the perfect temperature, soothing the little secrets buried in her heart. Yet it was those blazing peach-blossom eyes that truly set her own heart aflame.

Only now, with spring unfurling, did Jiang Li truly see those lake-deep eyes clearly while fully lucid—holding a smile, ensnaring her soul.

How beautiful.

The surroundings held only faint bird calls and insect chirps, along with that soft murmur of praise. Meeting Lu Yihuan’s gaze, now brimming with deeper amusement, Jiang Li realized she had spoken aloud.

Her cheeks burned crimson, her already racing heart pounding faster with her emotions, as if it might burst from her chest at any second.

“What are you laughing at? Lord Lu wields such power at court—surely no one’s ever praised your stunning beauty?” Her cheeks heating further, the question slipped out amid her embarrassment. But afterward, Jiang Li found herself genuinely curious about something else.

Had someone like Lu Yihuan ever been in a relationship before? She was several years older, after all. Surely there had been matches arranged by the Emperor or friends…

Lu Yihuan’s eyes curved in amusement as she watched Jiang Li pose the question. Before she could answer, Jiang Li seemed utterly convinced of her own assumptions.

“Sorry to disappoint you, but aside from you, no one’s ever praised my beauty.”

Jiang Li blinked, then remembered that to others, the woman before her was a figure who killed without blinking, exalted and untouchable, her position forged in blood and battle and secured through endless schemes.

Given that history, her looks—often praised in Jiang Li’s words—were the least noteworthy aspect. Everyone lauded her cleverness and audacity instead; some even branded her an ambitious schemer or master plotter.

It only highlighted how superficially captivated Jiang Li had been by Lu Yihuan’s beauty, time and again.

Jiang Li cleared her throat lightly, about to say more, when Lu Yihuan’s expression sharpened. Her hand shot up first, covering those lips.

She raised a finger to her knuckles in a hush gesture.

Jiang Li started to nod in agreement, but the palm over her lips didn’t budge. Nodding would mean brushing against it.

After the first tentative dip of her head caused the briefest contact, fresh blood rushed to her cheeks, blurring her vision for a moment.

Her lips quivered as Jiang Li murmured through clenched teeth, “What’s wrong?”

Leaning in close, their robes tangling, Lu Yihuan’s lips nearly brushed Jiang Li’s ear bone. “Someone’s coming.”

With her lips sealed by the firm hand and warm breath tickling her ear, Jiang Li needed only the slightest shift to seem devoutly kiss the palm or offer her earlobe into those lips.

Her body went rigid, her face blazing. Her heart thundered louder. She tried to steady it, but her exhaled breath hit the knuckles, freezing her in place.

Jiang Li’s ear tip twitched faintly. Lu Yihuan heard the footsteps and voices drawing nearer, the tender expression on her face hardening once more, brows furrowing.

After leaving the courtyard, they had deliberately veered farther to evade prying eyes, choosing this secluded spot.

Yet now, people were heading straight here, following their exact path.

Fleeing would alert them for sure.

This was the Prime Minister’s Mansion, after all. Until they knew who approached, restraint was wiser.

Lu Yihuan pressed her palm more firmly over Jiang Li’s mouth and held her own breath, stifling any sound.

She had thought of everything—except how tightly her palm met those lips, sparking illicit thoughts in Jiang Li.

That pressure…

Her cheeks warmed as the heat compressed her lips, forbidding movement. But that warmth, that insistent pressure…

Jiang Li tried not to think it, but in the utter silence, nothing distracted her. Her mind drifted inevitably back to that night along those lines of heat and force.

The same heat—no, even hotter—pressing ruthlessly against her face, pinning her down without mercy.

Just like now.

Her face flushed as thoughts swirled: perhaps lascivious, scorching, or soft… They flashed through her mind without lingering.

But the memory burned deepest—that forceful palm mirroring the one now, Lu Yihuan dominant and laden with desire, pinning her utterly.

In that confused recollection, Jiang Li could only purse her lips, afraid to move.

Each breath she exhaled made the body atop her tremble slightly, only for the next press to grow more fervent, unrestrained against her face.

Her nose tip dented on impact, meeting scalding wetness.

Yet staying perfectly still brought its own “punishment.”

She would be drawn in.

Motionless, Lu Yihuan’s descent became a teasing rub against soft jelly, delaying the peak. Eventually, she found the trick.

No longer up and down, but after settling, a subtle forward shift to align perfectly, lips parting in a lingering kiss with Jiang Li’s.

Gentle compared to its owner’s fervent invasions, it bit her lip instinctively, struggling to draw both into its warmth.

A few rubs pulled forth teasing silver threads—not just at Jiang Li’s corner, but trailing away with it.

Unsated after the tease, it demanded the lip yield fully before satisfaction.

That night was much like this hot palm and heavy pressure now.

Though not entirely the same.

Jiang Li thought at least she could move now, not fully pinned.

Placing her hand over Lu Yihuan’s, Jiang Li kept her feet planted but leaned her upper body back slightly, seeking escape.

She didn’t lean far before her shoulder blades met softness behind her. Her body stiffened.

When had Lu Yihuan gotten so close…?

Brushed lightly, Lu Yihuan glanced down at the restless figure. She knew Jiang Li was slender, all sharp bones under her touch.

Bone meeting softness stood out starkly, especially now as ear-twitching footsteps neared further.

Lu Yihuan bent lower, her hushed whisper brushing Jiang Li’s ear. “Don’t move.”

Jiang Li knew exactly what that softness behind her was. The words sank into her ear, husky threads. The night breeze couldn’t cool her burning face; she could only nod faintly.

Seeing those flushed ear tips, amusement flickered in Lu Yihuan’s eyes. Shy again.

They pressed close, breaths held, eyes fixed on the path ahead.

The footsteps grew nearer. Moonlight glowed bright, lanterns ignited, allowing the pair behind the rock to see who approached.

A familiar face.

Jiang Li’s brows arched briefly, recalling Du Qingyuan’s recent activities, then smoothed.

Though rebuffed by Lu Yihuan lately, with her and old Master Du’s groundwork, he counted among the rising stars in this batch of new officials.

His presence here made perfect sense, whether leveraging his family or his own merits.

But who was the woman beside him?

【Ding—Host detected in contact with the novel’s female lead. Please proceed with caution.】

The beautiful, demure woman walked with Du Qingyuan, her attire marking her as some noble’s daughter—far beyond a merchant’s means.

Were they already an item? Had the male and female leads begun their romance this early?

Curiosity bubbled in Jiang Li. She tilted her head slightly to glimpse the woman’s face. Du Qingyuan held her hand tenderly, his scholarly gentleness evident in every glance.

If Jiang Li didn’t know his true nature, that suave gentleman act might have fooled her too. She wondered whose daughter the female lead was, to fall so easily.

Curiosity overflowed on Jiang Li’s face as she craned repeatedly, her faint fragrance lingering from her hair.

Her fingertips twitched, but Lu Yihuan pressed her palm harder over those lips. “It’s Du Qingyuan and the Chancellor’s daughter, Ye Yi.”

“Don’t move.”

With the whispered explanation, Jiang Li identified the female lead, her brows knitting in unabated—and intensifying—curiosity.

The Chancellor’s daughter? From her recent dealings with him, the Chancellor was a sly old fox who devoured without spitting bones. How had the female lead inherited none of that?

Her curiosity piqued, Jiang Li didn’t shift much but kept peeking at the pair, scrutinizing their affection.

Her lips relaxed from their purse, rubbing the palm with each subtle move.

The gaze above shifted from wandering to fixed.

Jiang Li still was one thing; her repeated fidgeting yanked Lu Yihuan’s attention back.

Rubbed again and again, the pressure on her face wavered: tighten to still her, or loosen for more “kisses”…?

In her indecision, Lu Yihuan eased her grip, savoring within safe bounds as plump lips dotted her palm.

Yes, kiss more… right there.

Peck after peck circled the palm, grazed finger bases, tapped lightly—exquisite.

Lu Yihuan melted into the pleasure, lazily leaning her body against Jiang Li’s back.

Jiang Li fixated on whatever unfolded between Du Qingyuan and Ye Yi, but Lu Yihuan cared not a whit.

She simply narrowed her eyes in bliss, relishing the “lip massage.” One circuit of the palm’s edge, roots of middle and index fingers, light taps—pure delight.

Lu Yihuan drowned in the bliss.

Meanwhile, Jiang Li watched their every motion vividly, her eyes sharp and alert.

Du Qingyuan gently took Ye Yi’s wrist, pointing at the bright moon while mouthing a short poem, it seemed.

Ye Yi gazed at his profile with adoring eyes, echoing his words before shyly letting him clasp her palm tighter as fingers interlaced.

Against the endless night, their kiss gleamed romantically, infinitely picturesque.

Tch, so the leads came to this remote spot to make out.

Their romance progressed so swiftly. Jiang Li recalled when Lu Yihuan had rejected Du Qingyuan.

In the original plotline, his overtures weren’t just to climb her ladder; their frequent contact sparked feelings.

But later, he met the true female lead, and the destined lovers cast aside the prior Lu Yihuan heartlessly.

Perhaps Lu Yihuan’s refusal accelerated their bond.

Still, the pace was blistering.

Jiang Li eyed their immersed kiss—this was still the Prime Minister’s Mansion; weren’t they afraid of the Chancellor catching them red-handed?

Though…

Bathed in pristine moonlight, they tangled deeply with fervent affection, the world itself their backdrop.

Jiang Li glanced down at herself and Lu Yihuan.

Huddled behind the rock, bodies pressed tight, not daring to stir lest they be discovered.

Compared to that passionate pair, their situation felt… subtly different. More intriguing.

Gently prying the hand from her lips and holding it, Jiang Li lifted her other hand backward in a beckoning hook, inviting her closer.

Soon, an obliging ear hovered at her lips.

Tilting her head, her breath feathering it, Jiang Li spoke with a laugh in her voice. “Lu Yihuan, I feel like we’re sneaking around for a tryst here.”

The clear, sweet voice pierced her ear, making the tip quiver uncontrollably.

A tryst?

How bold…

Lu Yihuan turned at the words, catching Jiang Li’s profile just as she peeked back at the pair.

An offhand remark that stirred another’s heart.

Lu Yihuan gazed darkly at that profile, extending her hand to firmly turn Jiang Li’s face toward her. Those clear eyes brimmed with questions.

Finally looking at me properly, aren’t you, Jiang Li?

She pressed harder, drawing the cheek nearer. Jiang Li’s steady breaths grew measured, just as Lu Yihuan wished.

Facing the approaching smiling visage, Jiang Li’s instincts screamed danger, alarms blaring in her mind.

The cheek at her shoulder inched forward to her ear, the deliberately lowered voice rumbling.

“Since Your Highness thinks we’re on a tryst, why not make it real—practice with me?”

Like a lake-bottom siren, the words lured, tempting the shore-walker to plunge in and stay forever.

“Your Highness must be trying this with someone else for the first time, right? Try it with me, hm?”

Her voice was low, utterly changed from before, enticing Jiang Li to agree—melting those once-cold eyes into harmless warm pools.

Agree, agree…

I can give what others can’t. Just like me. Like only me.

The face before her stilled, but trembling red ear tips betrayed she’d heard clearly.

A soft chuckle rumbled from her throat. Lu Yihuan eyed the stunned woman; that dainty earlobe dangled by her lips—merely a chin-lift away.

Lu Yihuan never restrained her desires around Jiang Li.

Mmm…

Her chin tilted slightly, tongue flicking out to claim the earlobe, wrapping it like a pastry, teeth grazing to crumble before sweeping it clean.

Jiang Li’s stifled hum at her ear registered with Lu Yihuan. The woman bit her lip hard, silencing herself.

Without turning, Jiang Li didn’t know if the smooching Du Qingyuan and Ye Yi had left. If not, and they heard her…

If discovered here with Lu Yihuan…

Thoughts flooded her mind. Her earlobe teased and nipped, Jiang Li wanted to push away but recalled those pitiful, melting eyes gazing at her.

Fine. She’d tormented her plenty before; now it was just an ear bite.

The hand raised to shove hovered midair as Jiang Li convinced herself, slowly lowering it.

She clamped her lips tight, mute.

Unaware Lu Yihuan drank in her look, eyes gleaming with heightened thrill.

Yes, this was more like a tryst.

This was our tryst.