Chapter Thirty-Six: A Beauty Emerging from the Bath

A person should know their own limitations.

After much deliberation, the esteemed Scholar Ye retreated back into hiding. A mere scholar with no martial arts skills beyond horsemanship, he couldn't withstand a sword or a blade, and he couldn't afford any more trouble. Enduring hunger and thirst until nightfall, only daring to venture out when the noise outside subsided. Fortunately, the journey was smooth; with the veil partially concealing his face, he was mistaken for a maid from afar. It wasn't until he encountered Mu Lian on the covered walkway that Ye Yuqing's heart finally settled. This arduous journey had been incredibly difficult; thankfully, he was blessed with good fortune, otherwise he would have perished somewhere long ago.

After listening, Mu Lian put down her teacup, stood up, took a red dancer's dress, and handed it to the man: "This is Liu Zhang's private residence, heavily guarded. If that old thief finds out that you are here, he will not let it go. Please bear with me for now, and I will find a way to escort you out..."

Gazing at the bright red dancer's dress, Ye Yiqing gritted her teeth and nodded. In a life-or-death situation, even a maid would dress up; a dancer could too. The man, still in the red dress, turned past the screen, behind which lay a hot spring. Warm steam rose from it, carrying a familiar, faint fragrance that wafted towards her face.

"Hoo..." The moment Ye Yiqing entered the water, she felt completely refreshed. For the past two days, she had been on tenterhooks, constantly hiding, barely managing to eat any food, let alone bathe. Now, soaking in the warm water with its familiar, delicate fragrance, all the tension and fatigue of the past few days vanished, leaving her with an indescribable sense of comfort and ease.

Outside the screen, Mu Lian sat quietly in the candlelight, her slender fingers unconsciously stroking the rim of her teacup. The private residence here was heavily guarded. If it were just her and Meng Yuan, it wouldn't be difficult, but if she brought Lord Ye, who didn't know martial arts, it would be hard to leave unnoticed.

As she was pondering this, she suddenly heard a commotion outside the window, as if someone was searching for something. Mu Lian's heart skipped a beat, and she went behind the screen. Behind the screen, Ye Yuqing was standing in the water, bathing naked, and in her haste, she had no time to cover herself.

Mu Lian glanced at him, then quickly turned around, her voice slightly stammering, "Please, Lord Ye, just a moment longer, outside..." Before she could finish, the sound of soldiers bursting through the door could be heard. Mu Lian ripped off her gauze robe and pressed Ye Yuqing's head down.

The sound of splashing water filled the room. Inside, brightly lit by candlelight, a woman with her breasts partially exposed stretched out her slender arms, stirring the water droplets behind a screen, her voice alluring and languid: "Gentlemen, what brings you here?"

The soldiers exchanged glances, hesitantly halting their advance. Although this was supposed to be the dancers' quarters, it was still their master's property, and they dared not easily intrude. The lead soldier's sharp eyes swept across the room; aside from the scattered women's clothes, there was nothing else to be found. He glanced at the image of a beautiful woman emerging from a bath reflected on the screen, then quickly waved for the soldiers to retreat.

"I was following orders and disturbed the beauty, please forgive me..." After the soldiers left, the leader hurriedly closed the door. They were all hot-blooded young men, how could they tolerate such behavior? They should not offend the beauty inside.

Silence returned to the room. Ye Yuqing, who had been holding back for so long, could no longer resist and surfaced from the water, her long hair splashing warm water onto Mu Lian. Before her, the woman's once sheer red gauze dress now clung tightly to her body, accentuating her shapely figure and alluring curves. Her breasts were partially exposed, her skin as white as snow, her hair as black as clouds. Above that was a beautiful and radiant face, quietly gazing at her.

Ye Yuqing, who had been panting heavily, froze instantly, her heart pounding wildly. Suddenly, she felt a warm current rush to her lower abdomen, and something strange, which had been dormant in the water, immediately awoke and stood upright with a "whoosh" on her naked body.

You're going to die!

Ye Yuqing hurriedly turned around, frantically pulling off the dancer's skirt beside the hot spring and covering herself with it. But the next second, warm liquid flowed down her nostrils. The man frantically covered his nose again, stammering, "I'm, I'm sorry, I, I didn't mean to..."

"Never mind." Mu Lian sighed. She knew Ye Yiqing hadn't done it on purpose. Besides, she had seen the man's body just now. Recalling the glimpse of his slender waist and impressive figure she had just caught, Mu Lian felt she hadn't lost out. At least, she was still wearing a layer of clothing.

"There's no time to lose, sir, you need to hurry..." Mu Lian changed the subject, slightly easing the awkwardness from before.

"Okay." After hastily wiping away the blood from her nose, putting on her dancer's dress, and casually tying her hair into a bun, Ye Yuqing turned around.

Mu Lian glanced at the effeminate-haired girl under Lord Ye's command and couldn't help but chuckle. Oh well, might as well see her off.

She plucked a golden hairpin from his hair, quickly tied it up for the man before her, and then helped him put on his veil before stopping. The woman's light breath brushed against his face, a faint, cool fragrance swirling around him, and her long, thick eyelashes were clearly visible. Ye Yuqing felt his heart pounding faster, his throat tighten, and he almost couldn't breathe; his hands, hanging by his sides, trembled even more violently.

But the next instant, an incredibly sharp dagger was pressed against Ye Yiqing's neck, instantly melting away all the man's lustful thoughts. Though it's said that dying beneath a peony flower is a romantic death, no one would willingly choose to die so easily if they could live a romantic life.

Mu Lian looked at the man's face, which had turned deathly pale, and found it somewhat amusing. Knowing that Ye Yuqing had already recognized her as the head of the Judicial Office, she decided to be clear from the start: "My lord, I never show my true face. Everyone who has seen my true face is dead, so..."

"Don't worry, Lord Mu..." Ye Yuqing swallowed hard, her trembling hand slightly moving the cold blade away, and hurriedly said, "I will definitely keep Lord Mu's secret..." Not to mention that as the head of the Judicial Office, she had heavy responsibilities and it was indeed inconvenient to show her true face to others, moreover, Ye Yuqing did not want others to see her stunning beauty too much.

"That's good then, I trust Lord Ye..." Mu Lian said calmly, sheathing his dagger.

He let out a quiet breath. Tugging at his slightly short dancer's skirt, Ye Yuqing followed Mu Lian out the door. Because of his tall stature, he didn't quite look like a woman, so Mu Lian tied an extra layer of tasseled gauze around Ye Yuqing's waist, handed him a round fan, and even taught him how to walk. After this, the dignified Ye Yuqing, dressed as a dancer, did resemble her somewhat.

Time was of the essence, and the two didn't have time to wait for Meng Yuan to return, so they only left a mark. It was already close to midnight, and Mu Lian led Ye Yuqing hurriedly towards the artificial hill.

In the courtyard, the peacock, which was sleeping, seemed to sense something and slightly raised its head, its jewel-like eyes staring intently at the two people approaching.