Chapter Six: Taking Possession of the House

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Shen Tuba was drenched in sweat, sinking deeply into the soft bedding, surrounded by the strong scent of medicine. She could hear the sounds around her, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t open her eyes. Before the medicine even touched her lips, she instinctively turned her head away, murmuring unhappily, “Bitter~”

Li Tinghan, standing guard by her bedside, chuckled coldly. “You’re quite delicate. Drink it yourself.”

Drowsily, Shen Tuba opened her eyes and instinctively grasped the hem of his robe. “Don’t go…”

Li Tinghan handed her the medicine, and without needing to be urged, Shen Tuba swallowed it in one gulp, then looked at him expectantly.

She had her ways to make things better for herself—back when she was in the entertainment quarters, whenever she fell ill, she would coax the matron to seek out doctors and medicine for her.

After each dose, the matron would slip a candied fruit into her mouth.

As the figure before her became clearer, Shen Tuba realized this was not the matron. She instinctively let go of his robe.

This time, there would be no candied fruit.

She calmly withdrew her gaze, but Li Tinghan seemed to sense something, casually taking a sour apricot candy from the tray and feeding it to her.

The bitterness of the medicine collided with the sour apricot—a taste far from pleasant. Shen Tuba lifted her head, staring blankly at him, her nose prickling with emotion.

Li Tinghan asked, “Is it really that bad?”

Shen Tuba shook her head and gradually regained her composure. A slight movement pulled at the wound on her back. She shook his robe pleadingly. “Your Highness, my back hurts terribly. Could you help me apply the ointment?”

Li Tinghan’s gaze instinctively dropped. Through the thin gauze, he caught a glimpse of her graceful figure beneath. Realizing where his thoughts were drifting, he quickly averted his eyes. “I’ll have a maid come in to apply it for you.”

Shen Tuba shook her head vehemently and boldly grabbed his hand. “The ladies in the courtyard don’t like me. What if they take advantage of Your Highness’s absence to harm me?”

Her voice was hoarse from fever, and combined with the tone she deliberately adopted, it was more alluring than usual.

Li Tinghan swallowed hard, desire flickering uncontrollably in his eyes. He had to admit, women from the pleasure quarters were truly adept at seduction.

Even though Shen Tuba was still ill, Li Tinghan prepared to teach her a lesson—to prevent her from seducing others indiscriminately in the future.

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But when he met Shen Tuba’s clear, watery eyes, Li Tinghan instantly calmed down.

The same innocence, seeming utterly genuine, yet compared to when she first opened her eyes, Li Tinghan felt this was an act.

So, he gripped her hand firmly and forced her to let go, speaking coldly, “Since Mistress Xin’s death, no one will dare bully you again.”

Shen Tuba didn’t know why he was angry, but her intuition told her not to let him leave like this. She shamelessly clung to his arm.

The innocence in her eyes had faded considerably, replaced by a brazen stubbornness. “But I only want Your Highness’s help. I trust no one else in the household. You promised to protect me well.”

Before Li Tinghan could refuse again, Shen Tuba swiftly slipped off her outer garment. The lotus-colored underclothes revealed her snow-white neck.

Despite the beauty before him, Li Tinghan’s attention was drawn to the fierce redness and swelling on her back.

“Just apply the ointment on my back, Your Highness,” she directed naturally, a hint of small triumph in her tone. Li Tinghan found himself unexpectedly unresentful.

“I’ll handle the front myself later.”

Shen Tuba’s words made Li Tinghan’s fingers, already coated with ointment and touching her back, tremble involuntarily, stirring endless thoughts.

Yet, the woman beneath him kept making soft sounds, “Hiss~ So cool~”

“Your Highness.” Shen Tuba’s watery eyes held a faint reproach and a barely perceptible trace of disdain.

Li Tinghan, noble and refined, had never done such servile tasks before, yet she still found fault with him.

He wanted to give up, but was reluctant to lose the delicate sensation beneath his touch.

Just as he was about to scold her to be quiet, he noticed that she hadn’t spoken for a long time, only occasionally letting out soft hums when a painful spot was touched.

She had fallen asleep. Li Tinghan quickly finished applying the ointment and turned to leave. Halfway out, he turned back to tuck the blanket over her.

Perhaps the movement had touched her wound again, for Shen Tuba’s calf twitched slightly, exposed from beneath the covers.

The crisscrossing bruises had an inexplicable cruel beauty. Li Tinghan fought hard to suppress his wandering thoughts, efficiently finished covering her, and stepped out.

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Back in the palace, the Empress Dowager had early on assigned palace maids to instruct him in matters of propriety. At first, it was novel, but soon he followed the physician’s advice to cultivate himself, showing little interest in matters of love.

Selfishly, he also hoped that after Wen Niang came to the residence, others would bear his heirs.

Li Tinghan’s brow furrowed deeply. Though not many entered the residence, it was still a considerable number. He had never before lost control like this. Could it truly be that women from the pleasure quarters were more seductive?

He looked toward the crimson-hued canopy, at the sleeping face within, and the fire in his heart burned ever brighter.

Shen Tuba slept for a long time and woke again in the dead of night.

Her throat was painfully dry. Sitting up, she didn’t even have time to put on her shoes before rushing to the water kettle on the table. After drinking her fill, she shook her heavy head and surveyed her surroundings.

This place was about the same size as where she had stayed before, but the furnishings were more exquisite and refined. The bed was only large enough for one person, resembling a side chamber.

A vague suspicion stirred in Shen Tuba’s heart. She dressed carefully, then cautiously peeked outside. Beyond a sturdy wooden screen, she indeed saw a larger room.

“Miss Shen, you’re awake?”

At the sound, Shen Tuba turned her head to see a woman dressed in white palace attire smiling warmly at her.

Shen Tuba recognized her—it was Du Ruo, who had been present the day Mistress Xin tied her up in the room.

Perhaps sensing Shen Tuba’s wary gaze, Du Ruo quickly placed the basin inside the room, then respectfully bowed. “We all served under Mistress Xin. At that time, I did not know the reasons between you two. If I offended you, Miss Shen, please forgive me.”

Shen Tuba hurriedly reached out to help her up. During the two days she had squeezed into the room with Su Ye, she had heard a great deal about Du Ruo. Most of the time, Su Ye spoke with envy, but one thing was certain—Du Ruo was a proper woman from the palace.

She had served by the Empress Dowager’s side and was specially chosen as a gift for the prince. That was why Su Ye dared to bully the other two maids but never dared to act up in front of Du Ruo.

Shen Tuba certainly wouldn’t offend such a person. She quickly grasped Du Ruo’s hand. “You were only used by Mistress Xin. You did nothing wrong and need not apologize to me.”

Du Ruo smiled kindly but quietly withdrew her hand. “Congratulations have yet to be offered, Miss Shen. Now that you have been taken in by His Highness, you may reside here and accompany him from now on.”