Chapter 55: He Could Also Be Wicked…

He had thought to relieve himself this way, but it only intensified, offering no relief.

Guan Xuan stood behind the Princess, stroking her hair. Her hair hung over the edge of the tub, so long it nearly touched the ground. Without a thought, he bent down and kissed the side of her brow, growing more and more infatuated with each kiss.

In truth, he shouldn’t have torn the Princess’s dress, nor should he have kissed her body. Neither was necessary for detoxification, nor for expressing love. Yet he had done it anyway. It was his desire at work.

Guan Xuan washed the Princess’s body, his movements no longer as detached and emotionless as before. He loved her loveliness, so he washed her with alternating gentleness and intensity. The gentleness came from tenderness, the intensity from loving her so fiercely. The Princess clung to him, unwilling to let go. He coveted her dependence and longing for him.

He lifted her out, carefully dried her, and placed her back inside the tent. If he could speak, he would have asked if she could feed him, satisfy him just once. Since he couldn’t speak, he had to ask with his body. He kissed her until her neck and chin were damp. She hummed drowsily, murmuring softly, “Dog.”

She had never called him a dog before; she always called him Little Cat. Yet Guan Xuan was delighted. Dogs were wicked, bad—so he, too, could be wicked and bad. He continued kissing her, and she didn’t refuse. Guan Xuan lifted one of her knees, kissed her chin, kneaded the rhythm of her heartbeat, and thrust into her. The Princess choked harshly, gasped, then let out a long, trembling sigh, her waist trembling faintly. Not only did she not refuse, she actively held him. Guan Xuan stared at her swaying body, her dazed eyes, her slightly parted lips, and boldly pressed against her lower abdomen.

…

He had thought he would be easily satisfied, but he had underestimated his own desire.

…

The next day, when Zhao Rongzhang awoke, Little Mute was facing the light, threading a needle to mend the clothes he had torn just the night before.

Zhao Rongzhang found it amusing and let out a mocking snort. On the table was a food box; she opened it to find an assortment of pastries inside. After rinsing her mouth, she sampled them one by one.

She stared at Little Mute, and he stared back at her. She actually read “addicted to the taste” in his eyes.

…He’s been eating every day, and only now does he realize he’s been eating?

She glanced again at her clothes in his hands. Torn so badly—how long would it take to mend them? He clearly knew how to undress her, yet he insisted on tearing them. Truly, a lustful, lecherous cat.

A faint joy stirred in Zhao Rongzhang’s heart. She had always known she was captivating, both in personality and body. This feeling of being wholly and completely adored filled her with delight.

Guan Xuan also pursed his lips into a smile and continued stitching, needle by thread.

He felt deeply happy. He knew this was called life. Washing clothes, cooking meals, mending garments for the Princess, living and dying for her, planning for distant or near futures—all of it was life.

He loved life. His entire life was the Princess, in her entirety.

Returning to the Crab Gatherer’s bamboo shed, the old woman still lay motionless in the corner, her chest rising and falling faintly.

“Will she wake up today?” Zhao Rongzhang asked.

Guan Xuan shook his head.

“How many days until she wakes?”

Guan Xuan understood the Princess’s anxiety—they couldn’t stay here indefinitely. He conveyed his meaning to her: “I can find medicine for her. Even if she’s left here alone, she can survive.”

Zhao Rongzhang wrapped her sleeves and picked up the basket, heading out: “Then we’ll gather crabs for two more days to save up some money.”

Zhao Rongzhang lay on the small boat, reaching her hand into the water to feel for crabs. She was still unskilled, often failing to grasp the technique and frequently getting her fingers pinched by the crabs. But by the third day, everything changed—she became proficient, her hand seeming to grow eyes as soon as it entered the water, easily picking up any crab.

She had learned to gather crabs, but her hands were now in a terrible state from soaking. Guan Xuan applied medicine to her hands and feet every night. Other Crab Gatherers saw this and asked where the medicine came from and where they could find it—they all wanted some. Guan Xuan taught them how to identify the herbs that could soothe, astringe, and promote wound healing.

He also taught them which herbs could treat the old woman’s illness. Most Crab Gatherers came from the same hometown and shared similar roots; not all were heartless. A few, hearing that the old woman could survive, were happy to help care for her.

The money from crab gathering was settled daily. After counting the earnings, Zhao Rongzhang planned to leave that very night, but Guan Xuan disagreed, urging her to rest one more night. He wanted to use this night to search for Ming Luo’s whereabouts.

If he could find her, bringing Ming Luo directly back to Zhao Rongzhang would be best. If not, it would at least serve as a preliminary exploration of Suzhou City’s layout, which would benefit their future plans.

Seeing the logic in his words, Zhao Rongzhang agreed. Occasionally splitting up could actually be safer.

On the last night, lying among the Crab Gatherers, Zhao Rongzhang’s thoughts wandered. Guan Xuan sat at the edge, stroking her head and combing through her hair. Lost in thought, Zhao Rongzhang fell asleep under his gentle, soothing touch.

The next day, the sky had brightened, breakfast was eaten, and she had returned with the others after gathering crabs, but Guan Xuan still hadn’t come back.

Zhao Rongzhang grew anxious, her heart burning with unease. During their days wandering, every morning she would open her eyes to see Little Mute’s face, and her heart would settle at the sight. Today, not seeing him for so long felt unfamiliar and unsettling.

She wondered if she had agreed too lightly—what if he encountered those Death Warriors? Without her to direct his actions, wouldn’t they see through his intentions and corner him?

She shouldn’t have let him act alone. He couldn’t do without her now.

In the afternoon, she didn’t go crab gathering, staying in the shed to count the money she had. As she counted, she couldn’t help but think: what if Little Mute died out there? What would she do?

Her life depended on his protection; too many dirty tasks required his hands. Losing him would leave a void she couldn’t fill. She also greatly enjoyed his body; without him, many nights would be restless. She was growing to need him more and more.

After finishing the count, Zhao Rongzhang left half for the old woman and tucked the rest into her chest for safekeeping.

She began to calm down. For a Shadow Guard, death was normal. The more skilled the Shadow Guard, the more dangerous their situation. To deal with him, someone had even trained a group of Death Warriors specifically targeting him. Losing him was a possibility at any time, something she had to prepare herself for mentally in advance. Even if she truly lost him, she had to have confidence in her ability to do what needed to be done and achieve the ideals she wanted to fulfill.

The key to success always lies within oneself, never in others. Never in him…

Zhao Rongzhang picked up the chipped bowl from the table and drank, attempting to swallow down her erratic heartbeat. After draining it in one gulp, she set the bowl down, and suddenly her movements and gaze froze.

Little Mute appeared before her, wearing that youthful, faint smile again, with a streak of blood at the end of his eyebrow. His breathing was uneven, and the scent of blood on him was heavy.

Zhao Rongzhang felt an unexpected sense of relief and joy, as if she had regained something lost. She wanted to hug him, but seeing him smile, she also wanted to hit him. An inexplicable anger rose in her heart.

She touched his face, her touch turning into a pinch: “You promised to return before dawn. Do you think just because I dote on you, you can disobey?”

Guan Xuan felt a little embarrassed, lowering his lashes and shaking his head gently. Remembering what he had to say, he smiled again, his eyes bright as he quickly gestured to her: “I found Ming Luo.”

During these days of gathering crabs, Zhao Rongzhang hadn’t forgotten her main task. She often listened intently to the idle chatter of the Crab Gatherers and occasionally took the initiative to ask questions, gradually gaining an understanding of the customs and culture of the entire Jiangnan water system. Combined with the information she had obtained earlier in Hongfu Prefecture, Zhao Rongzhang had formed a directional guess about Ming Luo’s whereabouts.

Little Mute followed the direction of her guess to search, but found no clues. As dawn approached, he hurried back and encountered Ren Ping’s Death Warriors.

These Death Warriors, who had been searching for him day and night, surrounded him like vicious dogs the moment they sensed his presence. Guan Xuan had no desire to fight them, but escaping was difficult. At the critical moment, he remembered the Princess’s knack for turning desperate situations into opportunities and devised a plan. He lured one of the Death Warriors into a dark alley, killed him, then changed into his clothes and disguise, blending in among the other Death Warriors.

These Death Warriors were born to kill him, understanding him better than they understood themselves, to the point that their behavior and mannerisms somewhat resembled his. Once he changed his approach and adopted the Princess’s methods, they couldn’t react in time, and for a short while, no one noticed his difference.

Using this trick, Guan Xuan avoided their pursuit and took the opportunity to hide in a remote courtyard until they had completely left. This wait lasted until broad daylight. Unexpectedly, it was there that he encountered Ming Luo, who had changed her name, disguised herself, and was hiding in that very place.

“Stop!” Zhao Rongzhang suddenly grabbed his hands, which were constantly “speaking,” then pulled up the bundle she had already packed and placed aside, dragging him outside. “Tell me as we walk!”

Little Mute had returned alive and had found Ming Luo—these were two pieces of good news for her. She was now filled with excitement, eager to see Ming Luo immediately.

The weather was clear and pleasant, just past noon. Under the shade of the trees, the sunlight felt warm and the breeze gentle. Little Mute walked side by side with her, “chattering” away with his gestures. Zhao Rongzhang couldn’t bear to take her eyes off him for a moment, constantly asking questions, unwilling to miss a single detail.

It turned out Ming Luo had long since found an opportunity to break free from the Grand Empress Dowager’s control. She was now hiding as a lowly servant girl in a wealthy household and had made contact with Su Tan’s informants, biding her time and waiting for the right moment to act.

Zhao Rongzhang couldn’t help but clap her hands in praise of Ming Luo’s wit and courage, sweeping away the doubts she had previously harbored about herself. She believed that with Ming Luo and Little Mute by her side, she could accomplish anything.

Walking onto the street market, she asked the person beside her who was still constantly “talking” to her: “Have you eaten anything yet?”