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The stinging pain on her lips dragged her back to the memory of that scoundrel biting her lip in the dense forest.

"Is that how you discard me after bedding a monk like trash?" he asked coldly.

Amidst the brilliant autumn sunlight, an arrow she had shot still pierced through his shoulder, staining half of his robe with blood.

Unfazed, he pulled out the arrow and, as droplets of blood fell to the ground, gradually cornered her against an old tree. He then leaned down, bit her lip, and growled, "It won't be that easy to get rid of me, County Princess."

Mu Nijing, hurt by his bite, drew out her dagger and fiercely stabbed his shoulder.

"You dare!" she scolded furiously.

He didn't even blink. Gazing at her icy expression, he leisurely licked away the blood from her lip and said, "Thank you for sparing my life, County Princess."

With her blood still on his lips, Xuan Ce gave her a toothy grin.

Mu Nijing grew angrier. She should have been more ruthless with that stab; she should have driven the dagger in deeper.

Just as she considered stabbing him a few more times, the rascal released her, gazed deeply into her eyes, and left the forest.

Mu Nijing understood the meaning behind his glance - he would come looking for her, entangle her, until there was no end to it.

Seeing that Rong Shu seemed preoccupied even while drinking, she didn't press further. Something must have transpired in the depths of Minglu Mountain today, but since Nijing wasn't speaking of it, Rong Shu wouldn't inquire.

This was their unspoken understanding between them.

When she wanted to talk, she would. When she didn't, silence would suffice, and they would simply be there for each other.

Fuming, Mu Nijing drained the cup of strong liquor.

After swallowing the potent drink, she leaned close to Rong Shu's ear and whispered softly, "I impulsively slept with a man back in Da Tong. Mmm, right after I called off my engagement with Cui Si."

Rong Shu nearly dropped the cup of honeyed tea in her hand.

Regaining her composure, she glanced around before pulling Mu Nijing towards the warm pavilion by the water.

Closing the door behind them, she asked promptly, "Who was this person?"

"He was the top disciple of Daci'en Temple's former abbot, Xuan Ce," Mu Nijing replied, seating herself on a rosewood chair and licking her lips, which Xuan Ce had bitten. She spat out, "Before he betrayed Buddhism and returned to secular life, people praised him for his pure heart and exceptional talent, saying he was the most likely candidate to succeed as Daci'en Temple's next abbot. In my opinion, that 'pure heart' nonsense is just a load of garbage – he's nothing but a wolf in sheep's clothing!"

Rong Shu also pulled up a chair and leaned her chin on her hand, smiling as she said, "I recall you mentioning that he's quite skilled in combat, even you couldn't defeat him. How did you end up sleeping with him?"

Mu Nijing scratched her face irritably. "I was in a rather bad mood that day, had a bit too much to drink, and made a mistake."

Rong Shu raised an eyebrow. Mu Nijing wasn't the type to easily make such a blunder. The fact that she did this to Xuan Ce suggested that she didn't resist him in her heart.

"You wanted to sleep, and Xuan Ce just obediently let you?"

Rong Shu had once encountered Xuan Ce in the secret tunnel of the Sishi Garden. His aura was cold and unforgiving like a demonic blade, not someone who would be easily approached.

Mu Nijing glanced at Rong Shu. "After a few encounters with him, he clung onto me like a stubborn plaster."

"He likes you," Rong Shu realized. "After Master Fan Qing passed away, Xuan Ce left the capital. He went to Da Tong at that time?"

Mu Nijing nodded. "That scoundrel now wants me to take responsibility for him."

Rong Shu noticed the bite mark on her lips and asked, "So, what do you plan to do?"

Frustrated, Mu Nijing tugged at her collar. "I have no idea."

She fell silent for a moment before suddenly looking at Rong Shu and asking, "Was it enjoyable when you did those things with His Highness?"

Rong Shu almost choked on her words.

She looked back at Mu Nijing.

Enjoyable?

Of course, it was. It was the kind of enjoyment that tingled from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes.

Rong Shu gave an acknowledging hum.

Mu Nijing said, "To be honest, I found it extremely enjoyable as well, even bordering on ecstatic."

The sisters-in-arms in Datong's army loved to gossip about such intimate matters behind closed doors. They often complained that many men were mere pretty faces with no substance, and for women, pleasure in the bedroom was crucial.

"Zhaozhao," Mu Nijing looked at Rong Shu and continued, "I suppose I'm quite lustful. I've been craving that scoundrel's body. Just now, I was even thinking that if Xuan Ce dared to pursue me, I'd dare to spend my life with him. Right now, I have no desire to marry anyone; all I want is to protect the Mu family and Datong alongside my brother. If he's willing to take me as his wife, it wouldn't be a bad choice."

Rong Shu understood Mu Nijing's personality well. She would only be willing to sleep with someone if she had truly taken a liking to them.

He chuckled warmly and said, "Then let him marry into your family for life. Even if he doesn't, it's fine as long as he remains loyal only to you."

Mu Nijing exhaled slowly. She was not one to dwell on problems once she had resolved them in her mind.

With a tinge of resentment, she declared, "Fine, if he dares to cling onto me, I'll make sure he can never escape my grasp for the rest of his life. Does he really think I, Mu Nijing, am afraid of his advances?"

That night, when Gu Changjin was about to sleep, he noticed that the girl on the bed, for some reason, was not reading her travelogue but instead gazing at him with her clear, limpid eyes, leaning against a large bolster.

Gu Changjin raised an eyebrow.

He had just finished bathing, and his black hair was damp with steam, cascading down his shoulders. His skin was pale and cool, his brows and eyes sharp and refined. With his inner robe slightly open, the contours of his collarbone were exquisite. Beneath such a handsome exterior lay a powerful physique, which Rong Shu could feel every time he held her in his embrace, the strength hidden within his muscles.

Nijing had said that her experience with Xuan Ce was heavenly.

Wasn't it the same with Gu Changjin?

Rong Shu pondered. In this aspect, she seemed quite proactive too. At least while he desired her body, she also yearned for his. Like Nijing, she probably had a carnal nature as well. The desire for food and sex is inherent in all humans, not just men, but women too.

Gu Changjin met her intense gaze and walked over to sit beside her. "Why aren't you reading?"