The sunlight streamed through the window, warmly bathing the two of them. You Shuyao began to feel her eyelids getting heavy, probably because the sedative ingredients in the medicine were taking effect. However, she dared not actually close her eyes, fearing that if she fell asleep, Huo Jingsha might do something disgusting to her again. Therefore, despite the waves of sleepiness, she stubbornly kept her eyelids open and only nudged him.

"My lord is busy with official duties. Go and attend to your business. Don't let me delay your important matters any further."

On the surface, it seems like she's doing it for his own good, but actually she hopes he'll leave before she falls asleep, otherwise she won't be able to sleep peacefully.

"There's no rush. I'll leave after you've fallen asleep."

He took her soft, boneless hand in his, placed it to his lips, and first kissed it gently, then couldn't help but begin to nibble at it with his teeth. If he wouldn't let him kiss her lips, then surely he could kiss her hand? And as he tenderly kissed each of her fingers, his eyes remained fixed on her, his gaze intense.

You Shuyao stared blankly at him, feeling bewildered by how things had developed between them, and also finding his intimate behavior at this moment ironic.

She had tried every trick in the book to get close to him, even resorting to seducing him with her body, but to little avail. He was unmoved by beauty; his cold heart was like a block of ice, seemingly unmeltable. Even when she succeeded once, it was only when he was under the influence of an aphrodisiac.

Now... when she desperately wanted to leave him and had nothing to do with him anymore, he showed her his gentlest side, refused to let go, and even took her as a concubine, letting her live a luxurious life like a young mistress.

It's truly torturous. This escape with Qi was such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, yet he refuses to let it go, sending a large number of people to search the world, as if he'd spare no expense to bring her back to the manor.

And then, no matter how hard she tried to get rid of him, he wouldn't leave. When did this serial killer become so clingy? You Shuyao knew she couldn't hold on much longer and might collapse into his arms at any moment, so she didn't need to endure it any longer and directly warned him.

"My injuries haven't fully healed yet, sir... sir, you can't take liberties with me while I'm asleep, otherwise, otherwise you're not a sir, you're... you're a scoundrel..." Her words were broken and intermittent, her consciousness became increasingly blurred, and her voice gradually faded. Finally, as sleepiness overwhelmed her, her eyelids closed, her head tilted to the side, and she fell fast asleep on his chest.

Huo Jingsha raised her eyebrows and glared at the little girl in her arms.

What did she say? He... isn't an adult, he's a little man?

He was both amused and exasperated. It was outrageous! He had been so good to her, and she dared to act high and mighty, warning him not to take liberties with her. Was that taking liberties? It was clearly his genuine affection, wasn't it? And she even dared to call him a villain?

"I've really spoiled you rotten. How dare you scold me?" He gently pinched the tip of her nose with two fingers and shook it. As soon as she frowned slightly, he immediately let go. His threatening tone also carried a hint of doting. "Let's see how I punish you when you're better."

This woman has rejected his advances more than once, showing no self-awareness whatsoever as a concubine. You should know that the women in the backyard pray to Buddha but can't even get a single favor from him.

It's strange, really. She clearly loves him so much she'd risk her life for him, and she even saved him twice! Now she's stubbornly refusing him, driving him crazy. If it were any other woman, let alone two rejections, she'd be kicked out of the Huo mansion long ago, not even deigning to look at him. But since it's her, he'll let her have her way.

She was sleeping like a kitten, her little mouth still pouting even in her sleep, looking incredibly cute. But don't be fooled by her delicate appearance; she's tough inside. He chuckled, lowering his head to find her lips again, sucking on her slightly upturned lips repeatedly. So what if he was being playful? She was asleep; how could she know what he was doing? This wasn't the first time he'd done something like this.

At worst... we'll just leave no marks on her this time!

After a period of recuperation, You Shuyao's injuries recovered very well this time. Firstly, she hardly had to do anything herself every day, and everything was done for her. Secondly, the external medicines and tonics used on her were all extremely precious and rare medicinal materials, which were said to be hard to come by even for ten thousand taels of gold.

Chunlu said that the ginseng that was occasionally given to her was a century-old ginseng, one of only three in the entire capital. It was a reward from the emperor for the official's meritorious service in protecting the emperor one year. The official had always treasured it and never used it, but now he was using it on her without hesitation.

And then there's that Jade Skin Cream for removing scars and promoting skin regeneration. The ingredients are extraordinary; it contains five Eastern pearls alone, a value beyond monetary measure. Only the Empress and Imperial Concubines in the entire harem are allowed to use it. The Lord has expended considerable manpower and resources to gather these for her, clearly demonstrating his extreme favor towards her, to the point of sparing no expense.

The maids and servants went to great lengths to tell her how well the master treated her, but You Shuyao was not moved at all, only filled with contempt. They had gone to great lengths to gather these things; in her opinion, they were probably looted from his house—what was so special about them? But since they were given to her, she wouldn't be polite. She always took the medicinal herbs that could help her wounds heal quickly, and she applied the Jade Skin Ointment to remove scars without fail—she accepted everything offered!

On the one hand, Shu Yao carefully recuperated to recover as soon as possible, and on the other hand, she continued to pretend to be sick and weak, because as long as she was injured and ill, Huo Jingsha would not force her.

But she could also see that Huo Jingsha's gaze toward her was growing more intense every day. Although he didn't do anything outrageous to her anymore, at most he would hug her, occasionally give her a small kiss or nibble on her ear, but his gaze was far more aggressive than his actions.

She understood that he hadn't given up on having her; he was just being patient. Once she was fully recovered, he wouldn't restrain himself anymore. Therefore, she didn't have much time left and needed to find a chance to escape as soon as possible.

One of the advantages of being a concubine is that she can move freely within the mansion. Except for not being allowed to step out of the Huo mansion gate, no one stops her from going anywhere.

She appeared to be aimlessly wandering around, but in reality, she was looking for a place to escape. However, what troubled her was that no matter where she went, her four personal maids always followed her, or at least two of them would stay behind, practically inseparable from her.

She tried, for example, to find some reasons to make them do things and to transfer them away, but there were always two maids who insisted on not leaving.

"Forgive my disrespect, but my lord has decreed that since the last time my aunt was kidnapped, he has ordered the four of us to ensure that at least two of us stay with her no matter what happens, even if we disobey her orders. If my aunt is harmed because of our negligence, all four of us will be executed immediately. So I hope Aunt Yao will understand."

You Shuyao said casually, "It's not that exaggerated. I'm not going to wander into the street. I'm just taking a walk in this garden. Besides, there are guards on duty from time to time, and there are so many servants and old women outside. It's fine."

"Aunt Yao, you may not know this, but even if you are safe and sound today, if the master finds out that we left you alone in the courtyard, you may escape death, but you will not escape punishment!"

Upon hearing this, You Shuyao fell silent.