Sisi ran off in a hurry, leaving Zhao Changhe unsure whether he had actually rested or if he felt even more drained.0

At least he finally got to take the bath he had been longing for. He then fell asleep fitfully on the bed, half awake and half dreaming, with the floral scent of the bedding around him. His dreams were a blurry montage of shifting images, none of them clear or coherent.0

Over and over again, those eyes, both coy and playful, flickered before him, along with glimpses of a pale waist and delicate feet. The images swayed and blurred.0

Even in his dreams, he could not figure out the relationships between them. When he woke up, he was just as confused.0

He woke up just as dawn was breaking. A young maidservant was dozing off nearby, but as soon as he woke, she quickly snapped to attention, rubbing her eyes with a smile. “Did you sleep well, sir guest? You were muttering something in your sleep, but I couldn’t quite make anything of it.”0

“Huh?” Zhao Changhe sat up quickly. “What did I say?”0

“I couldn’t hear clearly,” the maid teased, leaning in closer. “Could you tell me quietly? I won’t tell the saintess.”0

As she leaned in, a soft fragrance wafted toward him, and Zhao Changhe froze, not daring to move. The maid’s proximity was intoxicating, much like being the Longevity Monk[1] walking through the Kingdom of Women—temptation...0