Lin Ting watched helplessly as that damp trace traveled up from her ankle to her calf.
He had actually kissed her foot-this wasn’t a dream!
She desperately wanted to withdraw her foot, but couldn’t control the force; her sole accidentally stepped on Duan Ling’s fair, blushing face.
In that instant, she not only felt the softness of his tongue but also the straight bridge of his nose and the warmth of his lips.
Her heart pounded like thunder as she rolled backward, successfully retrieving the foot Duan Ling had kissed.
Duan Ling didn’t stop her.
Instead, he sat on the daybed watching her, gripping her hand against the edge.
The veins on his hand faintly revealed the restraint he’d exercised, though they were soon hidden again by the long sleeves draping down.
Lin Ting was also watching Duan Ling.
His thin lips were slightly red and alluring, his robes more disheveled than when he’d just bathed.
His jet-black hair cascaded over his white undergarments like an ink painting of extreme simplicity-using only black and white to depict a breathtaking scene.
After a moment of silence, she stepped off the daybed to fetch tea for Duan Ling to rinse his mouth.
Duan Ling didn’t immediately take the tea.
Leaning back casually, he tilted his head slightly to look at Lin Ting standing by the daybed.
“Why?”
“It’s dirty.”
Even though she had the habit of soaking or washing her feet before bed, she still found it awkward.
What on earth had been going through his mind when he kissed it?
Lin Ting couldn’t fathom it it was too bizarre.
“Dirty?”
His gaze drifted beneath her skirt.
Lin Ting had the sudden urge to cover Duan Ling’s eyes.
Kneeling halfway on the daybed, she brought a cup of fragrant tea to his lips, intending to pour it into his mouth.
But Duan Ling obediently opened his mouth as she approached.
Even so, some tea still escaped the corners of his lips-Lin Ting hadn’t expected him to open his mouth willingly, so she’d poured too forcefully at first before easing up.
The tea dampened the hand she’d used to grip his chin, dripping from her fingertips onto her skirt.
The flickering candlelight made Duan Ling’s face appear even redder.
His chin bore faint red marks from her grip, which hadn’t yet faded.
Duan Ling didn’t feel any pain.
On the contrary, he found it pleasurable—an indescribable comfort.
He wished Lin Ting would press harder, leaving mark after mark that belonged solely to her.
He couldn’t help but let out a soft hum.
Thinking she’d hurt him, Lin Ting quickly released her grip, letting him rinse his mouth with the tea himself.
Duan Ling concealed the emotions in his eyes.
After he’d rinsed his mouth, Lin Ting brought tooth powder and a willow twig.
This time, he didn’t say anything he simply accepted what she handed him.
Only after watching him complete his entire washing routine did the heat in Lin Ting’s face begin to subside.
Putting away the tea set, she wanted to pretend nothing had happened, but couldn’t quite manage it.
“You just now…”
She couldn’t finish the sentence.
Duan Ling picked up the silk ribbon she’d dropped.
“I knew what I was doing. If you didn’t like it, I won’t do it again.”
Unsure how to respond, Lin Ting decided to change the subject.
“We’re leaving for Ancheng in two days are we taking the water route?”
The land route would take several days longer than by boat, exceeding ten days in total.
“We’ll go by boat.”
Relieved they were taking the water route, Lin Ting nodded.
Duan Ling picked up her handkerchief, wiping away the water left from his washing, folded it neatly, and set it aside.
Then he left the daybed for the bed, as if preparing to rest.
“Aren’t you having supper?”
Lin Ting had already eaten hers when Duan Ling hadn’t returned by 9 PM.
She wasn’t the type to go hungry for others, especially since he’d been returning late so often lately.
Duan Ling still lay on the outer side of the bed, leaving the inner space for her:
“I already ate at the Northern Imperial Guard Office.”
Since he had eaten, there was no need to call for servants to bring food.
Lin Ting responded with an “Oh.”
Having just consumed quite a few pastries, she also needed to freshen up and didn’t follow Duan Ling onto the bed:
“You rest first.”
Tonight, Lin Ting took her time washing up, her mind completely occupied by the image of Duan Ling kissing her foot-his lips brushing against her skin while his eyes lifted to meet hers, as if memorizing every subtle expression on her face at that moment.
Duan Ling, with his strikingly beautiful face, doing something like this was utterly bewildering.
Lin Ting stared absentmindedly at the clear water in the basin, where both her reflection and Duan Ling’s shimmered.
She stirred the water’s surface, and the phantom image of him kissing her foot finally vanished.
Cupping the water, she splashed her face and patted it lightly, trying to clear her mind.
After half an hour, she finally finished her drawn-out ablutions, blew out the candle, and returned to the bed.
Lin Ting drew the bed curtains and was about to step over Duan Ling to get inside when he suddenly sat up.
But instead of initiating a kiss, he merely brushed his fingers lightly against the hem of her robe before letting go, his warm fingertips grazing the cool back of her hand.
It was a hint Duan Ling wanted her to kiss him first.
Lin Ting recognized it, though she could have pretended not to notice and simply stepped over him to lie down and sleep, letting the moment pass.
But under the weight of his piercing gaze, which seemed to see right through her, she leaned in and kissed him.
Duan Ling closed his eyes, his lips parting slightly to heighten his senses, better attuned to Lin Ting’s breath and the sound of her voice.
Her long hair cascaded down, brushing lightly against Duan Ling’s body through the thin fabric of his inner robe, sending a shiver through him.
His fingers clenched the bedsheets, crumpling them into deep creases.
A window in the room hadn’t been properly latched, and a silent gust of wind slipped inside.
The bed curtains fluttered open, revealing the scene within-Lin Ting bending over Duan Ling in a kiss, his collar loosened to expose two delicate collarbones that seemed to merge with the darkness of her ink-black hair, white and black entwined indistinguishably.
Lin Ting had initially been sitting beside Duan Ling, leaning down at an awkward angle to kiss him.
But at some point, without her realizing, he had pulled her onto his waist, making it easier for her to bend over him.
She remained oblivious until she felt the faint tremors of his sensitive abdomen against her skin.
Only then did she notice the shift.
Just then, as if unsatisfied, Duan Ling arched his neck to capture the corner of her lips.
They kissed for a full half-hour before finally settling down, doing nothing more.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
On the morning of their departure for Ancheng, Lin Ting packed her belongings early and left the estate with Duan Ling, leaving Tao Zhu behind.
According to protocol, imperial guards on official business outside the capital were not permitted to bring unrelated individuals—Lin Ting was already an exception.
Even if Duan Ling had allowed her to bring Tao Zhu, she wouldn’t have.
The capital was far safer than Ancheng, and it was better for Tao Zhu to stay behind.
Originally, Lin Ting had estimated the journey to Ancheng would take seven or eight days, but the government vessel was faster than she’d anticipated, reaching their destination in six.
Thankfully so, because she was growing tired of the food on board.
With limited access to fresh provisions while at sea, the meals weren’t particularly good, and she was eager to feast once ashore.
The moment they disembarked, Lin Ting headed straight for the shops near the dock, asking Duan Ling if he wanted to eat before seeking out the Crown Prince and Lord Shian.
Though he was expected to meet them upon arrival, she didn’t think a quick meal would cause any delay.
Duan Ling didn’t object.
He handed their luggage to other Imperial Guards to settle and entered the wonton shop she had chosen, taking a seat.
The wontons came in large, medium, and small bowls.
Lin Ting didn’t hesitate to order two large bowls.
The owner needed some time to prepare the wontons, so her restless eyes wandered around.
Ancheng wasn’t as bustling as the capital, but it was still a lively city.
Though several long streets crisscrossed, they weren’t disorderly everything was neatly arranged.
Luxurious carriages moved slowly along the main roads, while commoners dodged them, weaving through the streets.
Vendors loudly hawked their wares, and carefree children laughed and played, occasionally stopping to buy candied hawthorns on sticks.
News of the rebels’ impending attack had long spread, yet the people of Ancheng showed no signs of fleeing, continuing their lives as usual.
Lin Ting was puzzled.
Normally, wouldn’t they be in a hurry to leave Ancheng, avoid the war, and return only after it was over?
But they seemed unnaturally calm.
She glanced at Duan Ling.
His reaction was indifferent, as if he hadn’t noticed anything unusual about Ancheng, casually rinsing his spoon with hot water.
“Here you go, honored guests. Enjoy your meal,” the owner said, bringing over two large bowls of wontons and placing them on the table.
Lin Ting took the spoon Duan Ling handed her, glanced at the steaming wontons, and called out to the owner, “Didn’t you hear the rebels are coming to Ancheng?”
The owner turned back, wiping his forehead with a towel draped over his shoulder.
“Yeah, so what?”
“Aren’t you afraid?”
His thick eyebrows rose slightly as he gulped down some strong tea brewed from low-grade leaves.
“What’s there to be afraid of?”
Commoners unafraid of war?
Why?
Shouldn’t they be the ones most terrified?
Lin Ting didn’t understand.
Could it be they believed the Crown Prince and Lord Shian’s presence meant Ancheng wouldn’t fall?
Noticing her confusion, the owner chuckled without explanation.
“Stay in Ancheng for a few days, miss, and you’ll see why we’re not scared.”
He returned to making wontons.
Lin Ting didn’t press further.
She sipped some broth first, then ate the wontons, all while thinking about her mission.
A few days ago, she had asked Duan Ling-under the guise of Duan Xinning to gather information about Xia Zimo, claiming she wanted to write a letter home.
This fulfilled her task of checking on him every five days.
Before leaving the estate, Lin Ting had met Duan Xinning.
Upon learning Lin Ting was going to Ancheng, Duan Xinning had been worried.
Unable to dissuade her, she’d repeatedly urged caution before hesitating, likely thinking of Xia Zimo.
Anyone could see Duan Xinning’s feelings, and Lin Ting knew she still cared about Xia Zimo-wanting news of him but unable to ask outright.
Lin Ting had cleverly used the mission to gather information for Duan Xinning, killing two birds with one stone.