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The shadow landed on the ground, naturally avoiding the furniture in the room, as if it could see in the dark, moving with the ease of someone in broad daylight.
The shadow paused for a moment, seemingly discerning the position of the bed, before quickly making its way over and looking down at the person on the bed.
Ye Xiaohan's breathing was long and steady; she had been exhausted from the day and was almost in a deep sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
After observing for a while, the shadow slowly reached out its hand towards Ye Xiaohan.
Ye Xiaohan remained completely unaware, not even turning over, lost in her sweet dreams.
Just as the shadow's hand was about to touch Ye Xiaohan's face, she still showed no reaction, focused solely on her sleep. For some reason, the shadow suddenly halted.
It withdrew its hand and took a step back, neither leaving nor advancing, standing still in the center of the room, revealing only a pair of eyes peering out from beneath its black mask, fixated on Ye Xiaohan.
A gust of night wind blew in through the open window, carrying a chill from the recent rain. Ye Xiaohan seemed to feel cold and mumbled softly.
The shadow subtly shifted, becoming tense all over, bending slightly at the waist, unsure if it was preparing to attack or to jump out of the window at any moment.
After mumbling again, Ye Xiaohan did not wake up; she merely turned over and pulled the blanket up to cover her head.
Once the room fell silent again, the shadow relaxed its tense posture. It moved this time not towards Ye Xiaohan but turned to close the window, preventing the night breeze from disturbing her peaceful slumber.
Having secured the window, it glanced at the bed as if finally making a decision and quickly walked towards Ye Xiaohan.
Just as it reached out to touch the blanket, a jolt ran through it—something felt off!
Pressing down firmly, it felt something soft beneath its palm, as if there were nothing but cotton underneath. It suddenly yanked the blanket away and found a pillow stuffed inside instead of a person.
Realizing something was wrong, the shadow hurriedly dropped the blanket and turned to push open the door. However, it was already too late. Ye Xiaohan jumped out from the right side of the bed and raised her hand, scattering several types of powder into the air.
Among those substances were some that shimmered faintly in the darkness, subtly illuminating two figures.
"Bold thief, daring to invade my room! If I don't teach you a lesson today, you won't even know how to write the words 'self-inflicted trap'!"
Ye Xiaohan, having scattered the powder, seized the nearby window prop and began to strike fiercely, all the while delivering her reprimand.
The shadow had yet to react when it was met with several blows. Its body instinctively defended itself, moving like lightning, and just as it seemed ready to grab Ye Xiaohan by the neck, it halted its attack.
It stopped, but Ye Xiaohan did not. Ignoring her own safety, she continued her relentless assault. Though her strength wasn't particularly great, she employed clever techniques that made each hit painful.
The shadow did not retaliate; it merely dodged. However, the small size of the inn room left little room for escape, and soon it was left with no choice but to endure the beating.
"Stop hitting! It's me!" Unable to withstand any longer, the shadow finally called out, simultaneously grabbing hold of the window prop as Ye Xiaohan swung it again with all her might.
Ye Xiaohan tugged at it but couldn't pull it free. Instead of trying again, she simply let go and turned to light the oil lamp on the table.
The large flame flickered to life, illuminating the figure before her in stark relief.
A tall man clad in dark clothing stood across from her, his face covered by a black cloth. In contrast, Ye Xiaohan was in her sleepwear, creating a clear distinction between them.
He pulled down the black cloth, revealing a familiar face—deep-set features, recognizable scars, and a silhouette she knew all too well.
It was Liu Bei.
"You know it's me?" Seeing no hint of surprise on Ye Xiaohan's face, Liu Bei felt a twinge of surprise himself. He glanced at the window prop in his hand and realized that she had indeed struck him with intent; she must have been genuinely angry.
Liu Bei forced a bitter smile and set down the window prop, unsure of how to begin explaining himself.
Neither spoke; Ye Xiaohan merely stared at him with an expression of unprecedented coldness.
Under her gaze, Liu Bei faltered and stammered, "Don't be angry. This is my fault. I'll explain everything to you later. There are many things involved here—many people—and I don't even know where to start."
Ye Xiaohan continued to look at him without raising her eyelids.
"Don't be like this," Liu Bei said, feeling a bit flustered. Ye Xiaohan had always just yelled at him when she was angry, never looking at him with such a strange expression, as if they were complete strangers.
He braced himself; even if he had to take a beating, he could only accept it. After all, this situation was entirely his fault.
"Let's go home first. How can I feel at ease knowing you're living alone?" Liu Bei added quickly, fearing that Ye Xiaohan would be upset. "Everyone at home is worried too. Since you left, Qi has been crying and calling for you in her sleep."
He hadn't even finished speaking when Ye Xiaohan suddenly let out a cold laugh.
"As expected of the Flying Dragon General, your intelligence is timely and detailed. You even know about Qi's daily life so well. How many people did you send to keep an eye on her?" Ye Xiaohan asked. "What about before? Were you watching us then too?"
Liu Bei explained, "I was just worried about you. Liu Yuan's identity is very special, and we can't grasp the information behind him right now. I don't want anything to happen to you."
"Should we kneel down and thank the General for his thoughtful concern?" Ye Xiaohan scoffed, glaring at him.
Knowing she was furious, Liu Bei could only remain silent and humbly accept the scolding.
Thinking of what had happened that afternoon, Ye Xiaohan grew angry again. "What are you doing here now? Weren't you very powerful when you had the guards chase me away before?"
Liu Bei felt that this matter needed some explanation. "I was too afraid to see you. I kept it from you for so long; if it weren't for this incident... In short, it's not what you think. I was also very confused at that time and feared that if you knew the truth, you'd ignore me."
Their relationship had finally become as harmonious as it was now; he didn't want it to revert back to how it used to be because of this incident.
"Hmph!" Ye Xiaohan couldn't be bothered to respond, letting out a sound through her nose in disdain.
"Now that you know fear, after living together for so long, there were plenty of opportunities. Why didn't you take them? Instead, you chose to continue deceiving me?" Ye Xiaohan said. "I can't believe what you're saying now."
Liu Bei knew he was at fault and could only show weakness. "It's all my fault; punish me however you want, just please don't be angry anymore. You can punish me; just don't hurt yourself in the process."
Ye Xiaohan remained indifferent as she slowly sat down and poured herself a cup of tea, sipping it calmly.
She didn't speak, and Liu Bei didn't dare to move either; he could only stand there awkwardly, forcing a bitter smile as he looked at her.
Ye Xiaohan finished her cup of tea and picked up another glass, waving at Liu Bei.
Seeing that she finally acknowledged him, Liu Bei hurried over, looking at her eagerly. "What's wrong? Do you want something? Are you hungry? I can cook something for you."
The inn's kitchen was available for use, and fortunately, the ingredients were all ready, so it shouldn't take too long.
"Sit down." Ye Xiaohan didn't even glance at him, her tone icy. Liu Bei quickly took a seat.
He watched in astonishment as Ye Xiaohan pulled out a bottle from her pajamas, then another bottle, followed by a package wrapped in oil paper, and another one. Soon, half the table was filled with items.
Glancing at Ye Xiaohan's thin pajamas, Liu Bei couldn't fathom how she managed to fit so many things inside.
She proceeded to open a porcelain bottle in front of him, and a pungent smell burst forth. Liu Bei inadvertently inhaled some of it, causing his nostrils to sting painfully, and he couldn't help but cough.
Once he managed to suppress his cough, he saw Ye Xiaohan open another intricately carved wooden bottle. A sweet and rich fragrance wafted through the air, accompanied by a hint of sharp alcohol scent. Liu Bei felt dizzy for a moment but managed to brace himself to avoid collapsing.
When he saw Ye Xiaohan pour a third package of colorless and odorless powder into the tea and mix it before placing it in front of him, he finally realized what was happening.
This was an apology of sorts, and the "thorns" were the various medicinal powders on the table.
Looking at the half-filled table in front of Ye Xiaohan, Liu Bei's bitter smile was almost impossible to maintain.
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