An'an practically fled back to her small tent, bolted the door shut, and leaned against the cold door, panting heavily.

At this moment, Lu Xiao watched the hurriedly disappearing figure, his fingertips unconsciously touching his lips.

"Softer and sweeter than I imagined..." he murmured, the sweet taste still lingering on his tongue.

Since that night, Lu Xiao seemed to have unlocked his full potential, completely abandoning his "princely" reserve and concerns about his age, and embarking on a relentless pursuit mode, determined not to give up until he achieved his goal.

"Dr. An, are you free today? Could you please give me some pointers on martial arts?" Lu Xiao said with a wicked smile.

An An didn't even look up, pounding the medicine with the pestle in her hand even harder, making muffled "thump thump thump" sounds, as if she were hitting someone's head: "Your Highness's martial arts are superb, I dare not instruct you. The wounded soldiers' camp is busy, please make yourself at home." Her voice was as cold as ice.

Lu Xiao wasn't annoyed. Instead, he strolled in, moved closer to her, and deliberately lowered his voice, his hot breath brushing against her ear: "Busy? I see Doctor An is grinding medicine with a lot of force. Or... are you angry with me? Blame me for... using too much force that day?" The last few words were so suggestive they could drip water.

When An'an went to dry the herbs, he would "happen" to pass by and help her carry the heavy baskets of herbs.

"I can do it myself!" An'an tried to take it back.

Lu Xiao easily dodged her gaze, which fell on her cheeks, which were slightly flushed from exertion. A wicked smile curled at the corner of his lips: "Serving my future wife is only right and proper." His blunt words made An An both ashamed and angry, yet helpless.

What An'an found most unbearable was his constant, unexpected questions:

"An'an, when will you finally say yes?"

"An'an, will you be my wife?"

"An'an..."

At times like this, An'an's heart would pound like a drum, filled with both anxiety and embarrassment. Her first instinct was to refuse: "Lu Xiao! You...you shut up! I said no...um!"

However, Lu Xiao always shut down the second half of the word "no" in the simplest, most direct, and most effective way—a kiss!

The first time was by the rack where she was drying herbs. She had barely uttered "no" when he pulled her into a corner and silenced her with a kiss. The second time was on her way back to the tent. She was about to protest when he pinned her against the tent wall and kissed her until she could barely breathe. The third time... the fourth time... the sixth time... and so on.

Lu Xiao seemed to have tasted the sweetness of her love, or perhaps he had grasped her most fatal weakness. He discovered that as soon as An An refused, and he kissed her, she would instantly freeze, her mind going blank, forgetting to resist, even... forgetting to breathe. That moment of submission and dazedness greatly pleased and stimulated him.

So much so that later, whenever Lu Xiao raised an eyebrow and gave her that dangerous look that said, "Try saying no again," with a hint of roguishness, An An would immediately fall silent, like a frightened little rabbit. She would stare at him with wide, clear eyes, her lips pressed tightly together, not daring to utter a single word, for fear that he would "go berserk" again.

Her angry yet silent, nervous appearance was incredibly adorable to Lu Xiao, making him itchy and restless, wanting to tease her even more, and wanting to... kiss her even more.