CHAPTER 145: CHAPTER

Unknown to Mo Zen and Mo Ting, someone else had been watching from the shadows.

Lian.

Chu Ming’s maid.

Her eyes were wide, almost popping out of her head as she peeked through the bushes. She saw EVERYTHING, from the moment Mo Ting stared at Lin Xu like a starving wolf... to Mo Zen dragging him away like he was saving his brother from walking into his own grave.

The moment they disappeared, Lian covered her mouth with her hand.

"Oh... this is good. This is VERY good."

She lifted her skirt and ran, almost tripping twice, heading straight for Chu Ming’s quarters.

That place was heavily guarded. Two guards stood by the door, arms crossed, faces stiff.

She stopped in front of them, panting.

"I... I need to see my lady."

"No," one guard said coldly. "Miss Chu is under confinement. No one enters..."

Before he finished, Lian slipped two silver ingots into his palm.

He blinked.

Then she slipped two more into the other guard’s hand.

They exchanged looks.

A moment later... they stepped aside.

Lian hurried inside.

The room was dim. Cold. Too quiet.

"...My lady?" she whispered.

Chu Ming sat on the floor, hair down, long and messy like she hadn’t combed it for days. Her eyes were red, but not from crying, they were too sharp, too dark, like she was sinking into madness.

She didn’t even look up.

In front of her were two small dolls, one dressed in white, one in black. She was stabbing them over and over with thin needles, muttering under her breath.

"Lin Xu... Lin Xu... San Na... San Na..."

Her voice sounded broken. Angry. Empty.

Lian’s heart almost stopped.

She rushed forward and dropped to her knees.

"My lady! Please stop, you’ll hurt yourself!"

Chu Ming didn’t answer. She pressed another needle into the doll’s head, breathing hard.

"Lin Xu..." she whispered again, voice shaking with hate.

"My lady, PLEASE!" Lian grabbed her wrist gently. "You mustn’t fall apart like this. I... I came with good news."

Chu Ming paused.

Just paused.

She didn’t look up. Didn’t speak. But she stopped stabbing the doll.

It was enough.

Lian took a deep breath and leaned closer.

"My lady... it seems the General’s cousin... Mo Ting... he has taken a liking to Lin Xu."

That made Chu Ming’s fingers twitch.

She still didn’t speak.

So Lian continued, lowering her voice.

"I saw it with my own eyes. He was staring at her like... like he had never seen a woman before. And he wouldn’t stop."

Chu Ming’s breathing slowed.

Lian swallowed and kept going.

"If he likes her... then he will try to chase her. He will try to win her. Even if it means going against Mo Shen himself."

Chu Ming’s eyes finally lifted, just a bit.

Lian nodded quickly.

"My lady... this could help us. Mo Ting acts first and thinks later. If he wants Lin Xu... he will cause trouble. Big trouble."

She leaned even closer, whispering right into Chu Ming’s ear.

"And when the two cousins fight over the same woman... even worse, if Mo Ying finds out or catches her with his cousin he could explode and hate her even."

Lian’s words kept making Chu Ming’s heart beat in absolute happiness.

She then gestured for her to lean forward as she whispered some things into her ear.

After she had finished speaking to her, Lian leaned straight and a devious smile was visible on her face. "My lady, this plan will surely work out. We will surely teach that Lin Xu a lesson. I’m sure of it."

Lian said as Chu Ming had a satisfied look on her face, staring down at the two dolls. "Lin Xu, I’m coming for you."

Meanwhile...

After Mo Zen had finally dragged his brother away, basically saving Mo Ting’s life before he did something completely stupid, Lin Xu let out a long, shaky breath.

She was alone again.

The steam from the pool rose softly around her, and she closed her eyes, trying to calm her racing heart.

But then...

Footsteps.

Slow. Heavy. Familiar.

Her eyes snapped open just in time to see Mo Ying walking toward her, expression unreadable, clothes still on... until he suddenly loosened his outer garment and joined her in the pool.

Lin Xu’s jaw dropped.

"Y-YOU IDIOT! What are you doing?!"

Mo Ying didn’t even blink, water rippling around him as he settled beside her with that cold, irritated face of his.

"What am I doing? I should be asking YOU."

"Me? What did I do?!" she spat, scooting away from him.

Mo Ying frowned. "Why were you alone in here? At night? What if someone saw you?"

Lin Xu stared at him like he was speaking nonsense.

"Mo Ying... I LIVE HERE. It’s MY bath too!"

"That’s not the point," he snapped back, moving closer even though she was moving away. "You’re too careless. What if someone..."

"Oh please," Lin Xu rolled her eyes. "The ONLY person sneaking around tonight was your cousin! Maybe go question HIM."

Mo Ying’s eyes narrowed instantly.

"...what do you mean by that?"

Lin Xu snorted. Those two idiots thought they were unnoticeable. She could literally smell and hear their voices from where she was, though she couldn’t understand what they were saying she was sure it wasn’t anything good. Why the hell would they be staring at a woman bathing.

Thank goodness she wasn’t naked unless she would have injured them with every weapon she could find in the system supermarket.

"He was staring so hard I thought his eyeballs would fall out!"

Mo Ying’s vein twitched.

"So he really... that idiot... Mo Ting has LOST his mind."

"Maybe he hasn’t after all. I AM a beauty and he isn’t ugly either. Who knows, we might just be a good match." Lin Xu said, acting as though she didn’t know her words were making Mo Ying upset.

"I see what you are trying to do. You are trying to make me upset, Miss Feisty." Mo Ying said with a smirk, though it was so obvious she was winning. She could literally already see his brows twitching out of anger.

She laughed. "Make you upset? What are you talking about? Don’t fool yourself, I don’t have such time to waste on making you feel upset... HMPH."

"You are so problematic, even when you breathe it annoys me," Mo Ying said with a slight pout, a little upset now.

Lin Xu crossed her arms. "Well maybe control your family members before accusing me of breathing wrong."

Mo Ying glared at her. "If you didn’t look the way you do..."

She gasped. "WHAT is THAT supposed to mean?!"

"You know EXACTLY what I mean."

"I DON’T!! Explain it," she demanded, splashing water at him.

Mo Ying splashed back. "If you didn’t attract trouble like a magnet maybe I wouldn’t be dealing with jealous cousins, fainting wives, and crazy nobles stabbing dolls!"

Lin Xu scoffed loudly. "Oh wow. Blame ME for everyone else going insane. Genius."

Mo Ying leaned in, jaw tightening. "You know what? Yes. I WILL blame you."

"Oh? Oh really? And what EXACTLY have I done wrong?"

"You EXIST!" he shouted.

Lin Xu stared at him, mouth hanging open.

"...oh. Wow. AMAZING. Should I go die then?"

Mo Ying rubbed his forehead. "Don’t start."

"No YOU don’t start!"

"I’m not starting, you’re the one who..."

"YOU walked into MY bath!"

"IT’S OUR bath!"

"YOU TOOK YOUR CLOTHES OFF!"

"It’s water, they’ll dry!"

Lin Xu let out a furious splash. "You’re impossible!"

Mo Ying splashed right back. "And you’re loud!"

They glared at each other, chest heaving, water rippling violently between them...

Until Lin Xu suddenly muttered under her breath, turning her head away.

"...you’re annoying."

Mo Ying muttered too, equally soft but absolutely not soft at all.

"...you’re trouble."

They both refused to look at each other.

But neither of them moved away.

Not even a little.

Mo Ying’s jaw was still tight, his brows still furrowed, and the steam between them seemed hotter than the water itself. Lin Xu crossed her arms and turned away with a loud "HMPH!"

But before she could get too far... a hand grabbed her wrist.

Lin Xu froze, eyes widening as Mo Ying pulled her effortlessly back toward him, closing the space she had tried to create.

"H-Hey... what are you doing...?!"

Mo Ying didn’t answer immediately. He just stared at her face.

Then, his voice dropped. Low. Serious.

"Lin Xu," he murmured, pulling her a little closer, "Today... even for one minute... I never doubted you."

Lin Xu blinked, stunned. Her cheeks heated instantly. "W-What...?"

Mo Ying’s grip softened, but he didn’t let go.

"I don’t know how you did it," he continued quietly, searching her eyes. "Neutralizing poison like that. Saving Lady Xu when even the physicians failed. But..." he paused, breath brushing her cheek, "You’ve always been... a walking miracle."

Lin Xu’s ears went red.

Her mouth opened then closed, then opened again.

"I... I... You... STOP TALKING LIKE THAT!!" she stuttered, shoving at his chest. "Why are you calling me a miracle?! Are you sick in the head?!"

Mo Ying smirked.

"There it is," he said softly, leaning even closer. "Miss Feisty is back."

"I’M NOT...!! Don’t call me that!!"

"What? Miss Feisty?" he teased, eyes glinting. "But that’s who you are. Miss Feisty. Miss Stubborn. Miss Trouble. Miss..."

Before she could slap him with a splash of water, he caught both her wrists, pulling her closer until their noses almost touched.

Her breath hitched.

"Mo Ying..."

"Shh."

His voice dropped another octave.

"I mean it. I believed you. From the start. You could burn the entire residence and I would still... find a reason to trust you."

Lin Xu’s heart slammed against her ribs.

Her face went completely red.

She tried to twist away, flustered beyond saving. "W-What are you... who... YOU’RE TALKING NONSENSE AGAIN! LET ME GO...!"

"No."

He pulled her straight against him.

Her body collided with his chest, water splashing around them as she gasped in shock.

"M-Mo Ying!! Are you crazy...?!"

"Yes."

He didn’t even hesitate.

His hand slid to the back of her waist, holding her firmly in place as he stared down at her trembling lips.

"And you make me crazier."

Lin Xu’s breath broke.

Her fingers curled against his chest, ready to push but she never got the chance.

Because Mo Ying leaned down and pulled her into a wet, mind-stealing kiss.