Xiao Hen attended to the little troublemaker with great care throughout the entire bubble bath and even massaged him with baby prickly heat powder from the first aid kit after washing.
"Over here, over here, and there too!"
"Wow, I smell so good!"
"I want Jiaojiao to smell me, Jiaojiao likes me the most!"
Nonsense, it’s clearly me.
Gu Jiao was taking a bath too and was temporarily out of sight.
A certain pale and tender winter melon rolled onto the bed, propped up his head with one hand, and assumed a miniature reclining Buddha pose, saying pretentiously, "Ahen, serve the tea."
Xiao Hen: I think you’re asking for a spanking.
The little one was flirting with disaster, utterly unaware that he was becoming the target of his bad brother-in-law’s increasingly dangerous gaze.
After his bath, he felt refreshed all over and soon dozed off with a flop backwards.
There was a breeze today, which was quite cooling.
Xiao Hen called over a disciple from the National Master Hall to watch over the little one.
The corridor on the right side of Qilin Palace was a rather special place where unrelated people didn’t reside; the room closest to the Operating Room belonged to Shangguan Yun and Gu Jiao, with the next one being his own.
The room across was empty, so Xiao Hen had a disciple from the National Master Hall clean out a separate one for Gu Jiao.
Xiao Hen arrived in front of the room and was about to knock when the door opened from inside.
Gu Jiao had just finished bathing; she changed into a clean, youthful long shirt, her long hair wet and draping over her shoulders and back, with a few strands hanging across her forehead.
Droplets shimmered at the tips of her hair, trembling and transparent, reflecting a myriad of light.
Her hair was so dark and glossy it further accentuated her skin, porcelain and smooth as jade.
Her lengthy eyelashes too bore droplets, her eyes moist and lips tender and rosy with moisture.
Xiao Hen’s Adam’s apple moved.
Gu Jiao looked at him with a smile.
Xiao Hen realized his lapse and cleared his throat, saying, "I came to check on you, may I come in?"
Gu Jiao stepped aside, allowing Xiao Hen to enter.
Xiao Hen casually closed the door behind him, went over to the table, poured himself a large glass of iced tea and gulped it down, only then feeling his burning desire subside slightly.
Then he looked at Gu Jiao: "You’re not drying your hair again."
Gu Jiao responded nonchalantly, "It’s hot, it’ll dry in a while."
She went to the small table by the window and opened the first aid kit.
Xiao Hen watched her take out the ointment and asked, "Are you hurt?"
Gu Jiao shook her head: "No, just a few mosquito bites." The mosquitoes in the woods were vicious—no sensation when bitten, but after bathing she discovered several large welts.
"Did the little one get bitten?" she asked.
"He’s fine, just a few red spots." Xiao Hen said, picked up a cotton towel and walked over to her, "Let me see, where did they bite you?"
Gu Jiao tilted her head back and pointed to her neck: "Here." Then she rolled up her sleeve and pointed to her wrist, "And here."
She had no other thoughts, only innocently presenting the welts from mosquito bites.
Yet Xiao Hen’s mind flickered with unspeakable fantasies.
Upon reflection, it had indeed been too long since they had been alone together. Even though she had put on a long shirt and had a boyish voice, as long as she was herself, he could hardly suppress a certain urge inside him.
"You..." Gu Jiao looked at him dumbfounded.
Xiao Hen lowered his eyes: "I’ll apply the ointment for you."
"Okay." Gu Jiao handed him the cotton swab and ointment.
Xiao Hen bent down and dabbed the ointment with a cotton swab, carefully applying it to each welt caused by the mosquitoes.
He tried his best to dismiss his stray thoughts, but she didn’t give him a chance to clear his mind.
"Xiao Hen, your heartbeat is really fast," Gu Jiao said, placing her hand on his chest.
Her hand, having been washed with cold water, was cool to the touch, but upon contact his heart became scalding hot.
He grasped her wrist and sighed helplessly: "Gu Jiaojiao, with you doing this, I can’t focus on applying your ointment."
Gu Jiao replied, "Oh."
Xiao Hen released her hand and continued applying the ointment.
Gu Jiao ceased her actions and just stared at him, unblinkingly, continuously.
And then Xiao Hen heard the sound of someone swallowing.
Xiao Hen: "..."
Applying ointment was a trivial matter, but in such an atmosphere, it became very intimate.
The mood suddenly turned sultry.
Xiao Hen took a deep breath and calmly pulled her hand closer, rolled up her sleeve, and evenly applied the ointment to each affected area.
He completed the task methodically, with a composure and steadiness in every move.
But as soon as he placed the ointment on the table and threw the cotton swab into the wastebasket, he suddenly caught Gu Jiao’s neck with one hand and deeply leaned down to cover her with his lips.
He had been so composed beforehand, almost meditative, that Gu Jiao thought he wouldn’t do anything.
The stimulation was too much—Gu Jiao’s little heart contracted, and then she was engulfed by his dominance and strength.
They sure grow up fast, don’t they? Do all men inherently know these things without being taught?
He’s too good at this...
Today wasn’t too hot, and a cool breeze blew into the room, bringing with it a sense of comfort.
"Your Highness Changsun, I’ve cut some fruits for you—Ah! I didn’t see anything!"
The National Master replied unperturbed: "The Duwei Prefecture and the Three Divisions Yamen use evidence to make arrests, but our National Master Hall relies on divination and prophecy."
What divination?
This must be some trick the old charlatan had up his sleeve because he had gotten wind of something, yet he had no solid evidence and thus resorted to divination as a cover.
He probably thought that the National Master Hall dared to arrest him because they had something on the Mu Family.
Now, he was not afraid.
Old Master Mu sneered: "It’s not that I doubt your abilities, National Master, but simply assigning the crime to my Mu Family based on divination will hardly convince the people of the world."
The National Master fell into thought.
The National Master Hall really didn’t have any evidence!
Old Master Mu said fearlessly: "If you can produce evidence, I will give you my life!"
The National Master: "Ye Qing."
Ye Qing: "Your disciple is here."
The National Master: "Bring in the witness."
Old Master Mu’s complexion changed.
Ye Qing personally went downstairs.
Gu Jiao and Xiao Hen watched the staircase from behind the bookshelves.
Soon enough, they saw Ye Qing bring a portly middle-aged man upstairs.
Gu Jiao was slightly stunned: "Him?"
Xiao Hen asked: "Do you know him?"
"Mhm," Gu Jiao nodded.
The National Master turned to Old Master Mu: "Mu Family Head, do you recognize this man?"
Old Master Mu frowned: "I do not."
"His name is Pang Hai, the manager of the underground Martial Arts Arena in Qidu. It just so happens that Manager Pang has come to Shengdu," the National Master said slowly. "Ye Qing, bring out the portrait."
Ye Qing handed a portrait to Pang Hai: "Do you recognize this man?"
The portrait was indeed of the peddler.
Pang Hai scrutinized the portrait for a long time: "Ah, isn’t this what’s-his-name... Tong... Tong Wu! I almost didn’t recognize him in different clothes! He was a master in our underground Martial Arts Arena, but he has left the arena for several years now."
Ye Qing continued: "Do you remember who invited him away?"
"That..." Pang Hai hesitated.
Ye Qing spoke sternly: "In front of His Majesty, I advise you not to lie."
With a tough skin, Pang Hai said: "The Mu Family."
Like a bolt from the blue, Old Master Mu froze completely.
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