CHAPTER 253: CHAPTER 251: IT’S YOUR TURN TO BE DONE, NOW IT’S MY TURN

Shen Yinning had her little scheme exposed but remained unperturbed.

Her fingertips slid slowly along the man’s firm arm, inching upwards toward his shoulder, finally pausing on his lips.

She stared at his lips as if gazing at his unspoken desires.

Within her bright and alluring smile was a seductive charm capable of enchanting hearts: "Your Highness, listening to those words made your heart happy as well, didn’t it? If it brings you joy, why bother discerning lies from truths? As the saying goes, ’stealing half a day of fleeting leisure.’ Why not take advantage of this rainy afternoon trapped together on the painted boat and revel in the pleasure of the moment with me, ascending Wushan together?"

The faintly sweet scent of powder lingered on her fingertips, slipping past Lu Ying’s thin lips.

Shen Yinning raised her lashes and met eyes with Lu Ying.

Suddenly, she swiftly licked the corner of his lips.

It was like issuing him the most ardent invitation.

In the early days of spring, rain poured onto the surface of the lake, blanketing everything in white.

The painted boat was shrouded in a humid mist, yet the temperature rose significantly.

Skin pressed against skin, sticky and damp.

A few strands of long jet-black hair clung to the girl’s snow-white neck and collarbone, slick with sweat, resembling intricate black designs winding around her—a stunning and dangerous allure.

Lu Ying’s eyes were deep, his face impassive as he kissed every inch of her skin.

Discovering that she hadn’t been involved with any other man recently, the jealousy and bitterness that had smoldered within him seemed to dissolve like dried grass scorched by fire. A gratifying sense of possessiveness surged over him like waves, reaching a crescendo and softening his actions.

Shen Yinning attempted to seize control.

Like a delicate vine entwining a towering ancient tree, she wanted to climb his sturdy form and glimpse the sunlight above.

Lu Ying silently caressed her delicate face, indulging her whims. But when she prepared to leave the soft couch to rest after her indulgence, he suddenly clasped her slender waist and domineeringly pulled her back into his embrace.

"Your turn is over; now it’s mine."

"Mm, Lu Ying—"

Shen Yinning couldn’t bear it. She had just called his name when the man overbearingly silenced her lips, swallowing all her protests.

The vast emerald waters shimmered and swayed, endless and without reprieve.

By the time evening arrived, the spring rain finally ceased.

The horizon stretched wide with a thousand miles of sunset clouds, and a rainbow spanned across Qianyou Lake, its reflection glimmering golden on the lake’s surface in the afterglow.

Within the painted boat lingered the dense, intoxicating ambiance of passion.

It was only when Lu Ying pushed open the window that the abrupt gust of evening wind scattered those lingering traces.

He stood by the washstand, expressionlessly scrubbing the cloud-patterned silk blouse stained with the crab roe soup.

Shen Yinning reclined on the bed wearing his outer garment, her dark tresses cascading over her chest and down her waist, her face still flushed with lingering satisfaction.

She bit a strand of her dark hair in her mouth, curiously peeking at the arm Lu Ying had wrapped in fabric.

During their heated entanglement on the couch earlier, she had deliberately pressed against his arm multiple times. It appeared his wound had reopened, and the blood seeping out stained most of the white fabric—an utterly shocking sight that clearly indicated there were far more wounds on his left arm.

Just how many poisonous insects had he fed into it?

Shen Yinning’s gaze swept over Lu Ying’s bare upper body.

His frame was upright and robust, seemingly healthy and free of ailment—why would he introduce poisonous insects into his own body?

Unable to comprehend, she saw his engrossed expression while washing the clothing and casually brought up a topic: "Your Highness knows how to wash clothes?"

Lu Ying ignored her, continuing his scrubbing of the blouse.

Shen Yinning pouted coquettishly: "When we were in bed, you couldn’t learn how to sweet-talk like other men to make me happy. Why is it that after we’re done, you’re still so cold and lifeless? It’s not as though I owe you anything."

Lu Ying ceased his scrubbing motion and stared at her coldly. "If other men are so capable, then go and ask them to wash for you."

The blouse was only halfway cleaned.

Shen Yinning coughed lightly, guiltily clutching the outer garment around her. "I’d still prefer Your Highness, Your Highness is the most capable."

She glanced at Lu Ying’s frosty expression and, in a playful tone, chimed: "Your Highness isn’t just capable with governance and martial arts—you’re quite skilled in the boudoir, too. Even Zhaozhao couldn’t take it earlier, huh?"

Lu Ying was struck speechless.

This fox spirit’s words were as sweet as honey, leaving him unable to retort.

He withdrew his gaze and resumed scrubbing the blouse with a cold expression.

Fortunately, the cloud-patterned silk fabric was soft and smooth; it was easily cleaned without the need for soap pods.

Using his inner strength, he dried the blouse and tossed it to Shen Yinning: "Wear it."

Shen Yinning touched the blouse, still warm, and exclaimed in surprise: "I never expected Your Highness’s inner strength to be used this way. If it rains continuously in the future and the clothes we wish to wear are washed but not yet dry, we wouldn’t need to use coal to dry them; we could simply ask Your Highness to dry them with your inner strength—simple and convenient!"

Lu Ying’s expression darkened significantly.

So his painstakingly honed inner strength was essentially being relegated to drying clothes for this fox spirit?!

His face seemed to frost over as he grabbed his outer garment draped over Shen Yinning’s shoulders, slipped it on, and walked out.

"Your Highness..." Shen Yinning, clutching the blouse, called out tenderly, "The ties for this blouse are at the back. I can’t fasten them on my own, and there’s no maid on the boat—could Your Highness help me?"

Lu Ying didn’t respond.

Just as he was about to step over the threshold, the girl’s languid voice chased after him: "If Your Highness refuses, then I can only drape it casually and go out like this. And if, by chance, the ties come loose and the marks on my body are spotted, I’d have no choice but to say they were Your Highness’s work."

Lu Ying abruptly halted his steps.

With a stormy face, he returned and wordlessly took the blouse.

Shen Yinning curled her crimson lips, turned her back to him, and swept her long hair to her front.

Lu Ying sat at the edge of the bed, fastening the ties for her.

The girl was plump where it counted, slender where it should be, and her waist dipped like an irresistibly seductive soft blade. Her porcelain-white body resembled a pearl of the East Sea, smooth and tender like silk wherever his fingers touched. A few red marks and lingering kiss prints added a fragile beauty to her, eliciting a protective sorrow with merely one glance.

It reminded him of how mesmerizing her natural allure had been during their recent intimate moments in the throes of passion.

He held his breath and calmed the tumultuous thoughts in his mind, meticulously tying the blouse strings for her.

Shen Yinning glanced slightly over her shoulder, her gaze settling on his left arm.

He had already dressed, the wide golden-hued sleeves cloaking her view, preventing further observation of the blood-soaked bandages.

She pressed her lips together as if casually bringing up, "Your Highness, your arm wound has reopened. Shall I change your dressing for you?"

"Don’t scheme against me." Lu Ying finished fastening the last string, picked up the crumpled silk skirt and sleeves from the floor, and growled, "Put your clothes on."

Shen Yinning clutched the crumpled gown and watched him leave the painted boat, her gaze filled with calculating scheming and derision.

By the time they returned to Zhaoyue Pavilion, it was dusk.

Shen Yinning wandered around the study for a while—the collection here was extensive but had few records of Miaojiang Gu techniques.

After some consideration, she ordered the maids to visit Liang Garden’s library and bring back all the ancient books related to poisonous insects.

Meanwhile...

Lu Ying had just returned to his courtyard when Xue Ling hurried over excitedly: "Your Highness, where were you this afternoon?"

Thinking of how he’d spent two hours entangled with Shen Yinning, Lu Ying couldn’t help but lift a hand to his temple in frustration: "Just wandering."

"You told us to secretly search Liang Garden. Guess what the Black and White Binding Spirits have uncovered?"

Just like Lu Shiyan had raised five elite masters known as the "Five Ghosts," Lu Ying also had two supreme swordsmen who were elusive and never moved alongside the other guards.

Lu Ying recalled Shen Yinning’s reaction when he’d mentioned the new tea on the boat and speculated the leaves wouldn’t be in Liang Garden.

So, whatever the Black and White Binding Spirits had found wouldn’t be the thousands of kilograms of tea leaves.

He asked, "What did they find?"