Chapter 41: The Slipping Undergarment

After nightfall, the water in the pool grew slightly cold.

As her entire body sank into the water, the chill raised goosebumps all over her skin.

Once she had quickly adjusted, she turned again to look in Pei Zhouwu’s direction. He remained seated with his back to her, lost in thought. Though she was the one completely undressed, he seemed the more bashful and nervous one, his posture rigid and unmoving.

He was like the bright moon hanging high in the sky—desirable yet unattainable.

Even his reflection in the water was just an illusion; scoop it up with your hands, and the image would scatter, slipping through your fingers until only cold water remained.

What was the point of this?

Unless she pulled him down, held him close, and pressed him against her heart, this restless itch would never subside.

She kept watch around her, especially in the areas where she had scattered the Insect-attracting Powder.

The cliffs surrounding the bamboo courtyard were thick with dense shrubs and flowers, perfect hiding spots for snakes and insects. This was the season when such creatures were most active, and as the night cooled, snakes in particular preferred to emerge.

She had witnessed Pei Zhouwu’s remarkable ability to pinpoint sounds and his skill of using bamboo leaves as weapons to slice through windows and strike from a distance.

So, she wasn’t worried about being harmed by a snake.

She touched the wound on her left hand beneath the water, and a dull pain still lingered.

Earlier, Pei Zhouwu had even reminded her not to let this hand get wet—the concerned look on his face was so captivating it made her restless.

Suddenly.

Her pupils dilated as she stared toward the left bank, where a pitch-black snake stood out starkly against the pale sand and stones.

The fear was genuine, but composure was essential.

Calmly, she took a step back and glanced toward Pei Zhouwu again. Frowning, she leaned backward and slapped the water’s surface with her arm, creating a loud splash and commotion.

Pei Zhouwu indeed glanced sideways but still didn’t turn around fully.

He was afraid of accidentally seeing something he shouldn’t.

But the splashing behind him grew louder and seemed unending.

What if she had twisted her ankle or gotten a cramp…

Anxiety gripped him, and he overcame the propriety of not looking, rising to his feet.

Turning to look, he saw Liu Fuying hiding behind a large rock at the very edge of the pool. Her expression was terrified, her hands covering her mouth as if she had seen something horrifying, while her feet stumbled unsteadily—clearly the appearance of someone with a twisted ankle.

He hurried closer, and under the bright moonlight, he quickly spotted the black snake on the sandy shore.

Instantly, his brows furrowed.

Then, with a swift roll and kick of his foot, he sent a stone flying up from the ground, catching it steadily in his hand. Clenching it tightly, he hurled it toward the black snake with unstoppable force, striking its vital spot with precision. The snake immediately flipped onto its back, writhing in agony.

Liu Fuying covered her eyes but couldn’t contain the excitement in her heart.

With the black snake no longer a threat, Pei Zhouwu stopped in place, not daring to take another step closer.

It was truly because Liu Fuying’s current state was not fit to be seen.

Fearing she might feel embarrassed, he turned his back to her once more.

Recalling her earlier appearance, he felt a deep pang of heartache. She had been so terrified yet still clamped her mouth shut, not daring to cry out—afraid of attracting the guards outside or causing him trouble. And if he hadn’t noticed the commotion from her direction, what would she have done?

His heartache was entirely within Liu Fuying’s planned reactions.

His current posture, with his back turned and not daring to look, was also something she had anticipated.

“Don’t be afraid. It can’t move anymore. You can slowly come ashore.”

Come ashore? Liu Fuying had no intention of simply going ashore.

“But… but my foot hurts, it seems…”

Halfway through her words, her voice trailed off, yet the sound of splashing water surged once more. Pei Zhouwu turned back to find her figure gone from the water’s surface, leaving only a hand weakly slapping the water in a desperate plea for help.

This time, he did not hesitate.

He plunged into the water, reached out, and pulled her up.

Only… only…

Only Liu Fuying’s undergarment ties had come loose. After the frantic struggle underwater, nearly half of her… was exposed.

And he… saw it!

“I…” Pei Zhouwu stammered, releasing his hold as he prepared to leave. “I… I’ll go get… get your clothes for you.”

“But…”

As soon as he let go, Liu Fuying tumbled back into the water.

Panicked and fearful, his instinct was to pull her up again, but he turned his head far away, his entire body rigid, his gaze frozen.

“I can’t stand,” Liu Fuying whimpered, her voice trembling as if on the verge of tears.

Pei Zhouwu dared not even breathe. His face and ears flushed a deep red, as if smeared with rouge.

“Hold me steady.”

He stiffly turned, intending to head toward the shore.

But after just a few steps, Liu Fuying nearly fell again.

“I really can’t walk.”

Liu Fuying sounded as though she were truly about to cry, though in truth, at an angle Pei Zhouwu couldn’t see as he stared straight ahead, the corners of her lips curled into a triumphant smile.

“…I.” Pei Zhouwu choked on his words.

If he could have removed his own clothes, he would have draped them over her long ago.

But his hands were bound by chains, making it impossible to take them off.

“You… take it slow… A Ying!”

He jolted in surprise as Liu Fuying pressed herself against his back, wrapping her arms around his waist.

“I have no face left,” she said in a tone both ashamed and fearful.

“A Ying…”

“You saw it just now, didn’t you? You saw my… that.”

“I didn’t mean to, I didn’t know… I’m sorry.”

“Sorry or not, you still saw it.”

“…” Pei Zhouwu was at a loss for words again.

Even in the most perilous moments on the battlefield, he had never felt as helpless as he did now.

He had never experienced this before and didn’t know how to handle such a situation.

“I’m sorry, A Ying, I’m sorry.”

He apologized repeatedly, unaware that behind him, Liu Fuying was smiling so brightly her face seemed to bloom.

She loosened her grip slightly and slowly moved around to face Pei Zhouwu, wrapping her arms around his neck and forcing him to lower his head to look at her.

“You have to take responsibility for me.”

Her eyes shimmered as she gazed at him. After speaking, she pulled his neck down, rose on her tiptoes, and kissed him.

Pei Zhouwu’s eyes widened in shock, and he instinctively tried to push her away.

But when his hands touched her arms and felt the bloody wounds, he immediately withdrew them.

Liu Fuying’s sweetness seeped between his lips and teeth.

His heart raced wildly, and he gradually lost himself, seduced by her sweet fragrance.

What began as a hesitant response slowly transformed into a fierce, ignited passion.

At some point, the chains on Pei Zhouwu’s hands wound around her back. As he embraced her, the cold iron pressed against her skin, stirring an even deeper thrill within her.

Unnoticed, the ties around her neck were undone by Liu Fuying.

The undergarment slipped off completely.

Perhaps Pei Zhouwu was too lost in the moment to notice.

The moon, which had been hanging clearly in the night sky just moments before, now shyly retreated behind a veil of clouds.

The reflection in the water rippled with each movement, blurring yet still revealing the entwined silhouettes of the two.

Liu Fuying had now tasted, however briefly, the bliss of losing all sense of time.

Yet, how could this ever be enough?