Xiao Xuan gazed at the familiar palace and pondered for a moment. A young eunuch came over to greet him and said that the bathing supplies for the Heavenly Water Pool had been prepared and he could go there now.

Pulled back to reality by the eunuch, Xiao Xuan lowered his gaze, instructed Qingying to wait there, and strode towards the side hall.

He had the habit of taking a bath because whenever he stepped into Phoenix Terrace, he would think of the house full of cockroaches and Empress Yao's hysterical face.

He wanted to wash away the filth and memories of the past, and even more so, he wanted to erase the ill-fated relationship with Empress Yao.

Although Tianshui Pool has been thoroughly insulated, it still feels a bit cold to lie on the ground in the dead of winter.

The clash between the fiery energy within Ning Yin's body and the icy coldness of the ground caused her consciousness to return somewhat.

She struggled to sit up, trying to take out silver needles from her sleeve to expel the toxins from her body, but Yang Shuhuan and the others had already changed her clothes.

She lowered her eyes to look at her pale yellow gauze dress and her disheveled hair, and couldn't help but let out a self-deprecating laugh.

At this moment, the mist in Tianshui Pool became even thicker, and Ning Yin realized that if she didn't leave soon, she might fall into Yang Shuhuan's trap.

Her body felt limp and her head was spinning. She raised her arm and bit herself hard with her teeth.

However, the effects of Hehuan Powder are unlike those of ordinary medicines; it can cause people to lose their sense of pain and become completely immersed in illusions.

If it weren't for the cold ground that helped her regain some of her senses, she might have forgotten who she was.

Desire surged forth, and several familiar faces lingered in her mind. She shook her head vigorously, but it felt as if it weren't her own, uncontrollably emitting low moans.

After finally managing to stand up, Ning Yin took two steps forward along the pool. Because the marble was wet with mist, she was walking barefoot on it, and her mind couldn't control her balance.

thump!

In an instant, water splashed everywhere.

Like a surging tide, it swept over her entire body. Ning Yin couldn't swim. Back then, when Ning Changfeng tricked her and caused her to fall into the lake, it was indeed Shen Yun who came to her rescue.

However, Ning Yin never expected that because of this incident, she would attract a group of troublesome monsters and demons.

Perhaps it was her will to survive that brought her back to her senses, and she regained some clarity.

Ning Yin struggled a few times, only to find that the water was only up to her chest.

But her limp body couldn't support her as she crawled out. She moved a few times, and sweat poured down her forehead, flowing down her fair neck and into her collarbone.

The next second, I felt a creak as the door to the main hall was pushed open from the outside.

A biting gust of cold wind rushed in, making Ning Yin shiver a few times. Then she tried to open her eyes wide and look in that direction.

A tall, slender figure stood at the entrance. Ning Yin recognized the person as a man by his height.

Yang Shuhuan went to great lengths to drug herself with this drug, all to steal her innocence and plunge her into despair.

The figure stood there for a few seconds before the door behind him was closed by the eunuch outside.

The man approached with unhurried steps.

Ning Yin's heart was pounding wildly. She tried her best to climb out of the bath, but each time she failed.

The fact that she had been soaking in the water for a while made her even more dizzy.

The closer she got, the more Ning Yin dared not breathe. She even wanted to hide underwater, but she couldn't swim at all.

In utter desperation, Ning Yin almost burst into tears.

At this moment, the fog inside the gauze curtains grew even thicker, and Xiao Xuan had already reached the steps.

He casually took off his boots, then his outer coat, then his inner coat, and was about to bend down to take off his trousers.

Unexpectedly, the effects of the Hehuan Powder, amplified by the increased water temperature, launched another attack on Ning Yin's consciousness.

She was trying very hard to control herself from making any sound, but she still couldn't help but let out a soft, coquettish murmur.

She endured great pain and knew that there was no cure for this poison except for a man, but she would rather die than lose her innocence.

Upon hearing the sound, Xiao Xuan immediately stopped what he was doing, then quickly stepped onto the steps, lifted the light gauze curtain, and looked down at the pool.

However, due to the thick fog, he couldn't find the source of the sound for a moment.

Xiao Xuan's icy eyes were unfathomable, and he immediately drew the dagger he carried with him.

Silently, Xiao Xuan waited quietly for the sound to appear again.

About fifteen minutes later, Ning Yin could no longer hold on and fell into the water with a splash.

Water splashed up, and a few drops landed on Xiao Xuan's chest, instantly putting him on alert.

Just as he was about to call someone in, Ning Yin somehow grabbed his ankle with one hand.

Xiao Xuan frowned, and his arm gripping the dagger was about to plunge it towards Ning Yin.

"Jingyuan...is it...is that you...?"

"Ah Ning?"

Xiao Xuan's sharp dagger almost pierced Ning Yin's neck, but fortunately, Ning Yin spoke up at the last moment.

He quickly dropped the dagger, jumped into the water, and pulled the man out.

The intensely hot touch of the woman's body made Xiao Xuan's heart skip a beat. Although he couldn't see the woman's face clearly, that one word, "Jingyuan," made him absolutely certain that the person in front of him was his A-Ning.

He was very strong and easily pulled her into his arms. Ningyin's head rested against his chest. He reached out and brushed the stray hairs from her face, using the candlelight as a guide.

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