Chapter Ninety-Five: A Single Night of Spring Bliss

When Shen Qianmo learned that the assassins who had attacked them on the road back to the capital were from the Shadowless Sect, she narrowed her eyes and thought for a moment before saying to Meng Yuanheng, "So the killers we ran into last time were really Shadowless Sect assassins?"

"Yes." Meng Yuanheng took the letter, glanced over it carelessly, then handed it to Changdong. "Destroy it."

"Yes, Your Highness." Changdong accepted it with both hands, crumpled it into a ball, and in moments the paper had turned to a handful of dust in his palm.

That expressionless boy really did have a few tricks. Watching Changdong's departing back, Shen Qianmo thought to herself.

Seeing that Meng Yuanheng's face had grown somewhat grave, she said after a pause, "Since those assassins were sent by Meng Tianluo, then Meng Tianluo must be working with Mo Hanshan. And the mysterious person his advisor has been secretly contacting must certainly be one of the Shadowless Sect."

Meng Yuanheng nodded. "The Shadowless Sect has been making frequent moves in the martial world lately, its influence growing by the day. Mo Hanshan bears a deep hatred for the Mo family, and I fear he means to act against the Mo Sect."

That was the real source of his worry. He was afraid for Shen Qianmo's safety.

Shen Qianmo understood his concern. Holding the emblem of Mo Zi, she herself was very likely to become Mo Hanshan's target.

At the same time, she felt the weight of the responsibility on her shoulders. She still remembered the charge Mo Qingshan had given her before he left.

The Mo family may fall, but the Mo Sect must not be broken.

And now, with enemies hidden in the dark while they stood exposed in the light, and with Mo Hanshan so ruthless, so cunning, she had no confidence that she could prevail.

"Have you found any trace of Mo Hanshan?" Shen Qianmo asked.

Meng Yuanheng shook his head slightly. "The Shadowless Sect is made up of killers and death warriors who appear and vanish without a trace, hiding everywhere and acting only on orders. Mo Hanshan himself is even more elusive. It will not be easy to find him."

"Mo Hanshan is the prime suspect in the Guanjia Village case. Should we tell Lu Ziqing?" Shen Qianmo asked.

Because Lu Ziqing had insisted that the murderer in the Guanjia Village case was Mo Hanshan and not Mo Qingshan, the case had still not been closed to this day. One could imagine the pressure he had borne because of it. Now that they had this clue, Shen Qianmo felt they ought to inform him, both morally and logically.

But the moment Meng Yuanheng heard her mention Lu Ziqing, displeasure appeared on his face. He gave a cold snort. "Hmph. Why should I reveal the information I found to the Ministry of Punishment? Lu Ziqing is the esteemed minister of that ministry. If he cannot even investigate a case without help from others, how is he supposed to govern such a vast office? Is he expecting my people to run errands for him?"

Shen Qianmo rolled her eyes at him. "Actually, Lu Ziqing has not had an easy time of it either. He is, after all, a decent official who exhausts himself for the people. Why must you hold such a deep prejudice against him? He has also been under great pressure over the Guanjia Village case, only some things are beyond his control."

Though Lu Ziqing had risen to a high post while still young, after all the dealings Shen Qianmo had had with him, she felt that his advancement was not due to his family or background, but because he truly was a rare talent. She had always admired people of real ability.

Seeing her speak up for Lu Ziqing, Meng Yuanheng's expression darkened further. "Miao'er, are you worried about him now, or feeling sorry for him?"

"I am only telling the truth. Do not be so unreasonable," Shen Qianmo said, growing annoyed as well at his constant jealous fits.

"I am unreasonable?" Meng Yuanheng's expression changed. He reached out, seized her arm, and with a sudden tug, Shen Qianmo fell fully into his lap.

Gripping her shoulders tightly, his eyes dark and deep, he said angrily, "Then what about the General of Might? For your sake, he was willing to defy the imperial decree and refuse the marriage, even at the risk of being beheaded. Were you feeling sorry for him too?"

"What nonsense are you spouting? Fengze was badly injured. I only went to treat his wounds." Seeing him grow more and more absurd, Shen Qianmo nearly exploded with anger, struggling hard to break free from his restraint.

But Meng Yuanheng held her fast, not letting her move an inch. "Hmph. Fengze has liked you for more than a day or two. Today you went personally to apply medicine for him. Was he not deeply moved? Did he not pour out his heart to you? You two were alone together in one room—what exactly did you say, what exactly did you do, hmm?"

If Lu Ziqing was a thorn in his heart, then Fengze was a knife in it. As another man, of course he could see how deeply Fengze felt for Shen Qianmo.

He had sent He Qing to the General of the Western Campaign's residence to gather information, and naturally knew everything Shen Qianmo had done there. He knew she had spent a long time alone with Fengze in his bedchamber, but he did not know what was said or done inside.

Still, he could guess that Fengze would certainly seize the opportunity to confess his feelings to Shen Qianmo. What he could not know was how Shen Qianmo had answered.

This left him deeply unsettled, and such a state of gain and loss made it even harder for him to remain rational.

Seeing that he was being utterly unreasonable, Shen Qianmo also lost her temper. "Yes, Fengze did bare his heart to me. He is devoted to me; for my sake he did not hesitate to defy the imperial decree and refuse the marriage, ruining his own future, and I had no idea. I only learned of it today, so I feel very guilty, very sad..."

Before she could finish, Shen Qianmo only felt a blur before her eyes, and the next instant her lips were seized by Meng Yuanheng.

Their lips met, and the warmth of it made Shen Qianmo start slightly.

As he kissed her again and again, Meng Yuanheng said haltingly, "Miao'er, how can you be sad for another man? You cannot... I forbid it..."

Did this man have to be so domineering? Enraged, Shen Qianmo shifted restlessly on his lap, trying to break free of his control.

But Meng Yuanheng simply scooped her up and carried her horizontally in his arms. With a forceful push from his legs, he rose from the wheelchair, walked a few steps to the bed, and threw Shen Qianmo onto it.

"Meng Yuanheng, what are you doing? You cannot stand up!" Shen Qianmo cried urgently, seeing him once again act recklessly without regard for anything.

But once Meng Yuanheng became willful, no one could talk him out of it. He pinned Shen Qianmo to the bed, his hands roaming over her soft body, desire clearly glimmering in his dark eyes.

Shen Qianmo understood his intent and seized the hands that kept moving over her, shaking her head. "No, your leg..."

"It is fine. I asked Situ Gong." Meng Yuanheng's low voice brushed by her ear.

So this wretch had planned this all along!

Shen Qianmo silently cursed him. Though his warm breath made her tremble all over, she still shook her head firmly.

"Still no. I do not want to."

He was too domineering. She did not want to agree so easily.

Seeing her refuse him again and again, Meng Yuanheng grew even angrier. He sealed her lips with his own, forcing his way through her teeth, entwining tongue with tongue, while his hands kept roaming over her body, igniting sparks of desire one after another.

"Miao'er, do not refuse me. Never refuse me..."

Shen Qianmo was made dazed and soft by him, and then suddenly felt a chill at her chest. Only when she came to herself did she realize that her clothes had been undone by him at some point.

Meng Yuanheng left her lips and kissed downward, over her sensitive earlobe, her slender neck, her delicate collarbone, and finally paused over the place where her heart beat.

"Here, there can only be me." He kissed the soft warmth over her chest, his dominance beyond question.

Hearing his tyrannical yet gentle declaration, feeling his warm lips brushing her breast, that tingling, itching sensation made Shen Qianmo equally unable to restrain herself.

Her resolve to refuse had long since sunk into defeat beneath his overwhelming presence. She wrapped her arms around Meng Yuanheng's neck and involuntarily gave voice to soft, lingering moans.

Those low sounds, like a drug, completely shattered Meng Yuanheng's last line of defense. His gaze darkened, and with a motion of his hand, the bed curtains slowly fell...

In the dim room, candle flames crackled now and then, mingling with the woman's soft, breathless cries and the man's heavy breathing, until the whole chamber overflowed with an intoxicating allure.

Xu Mama and Green Bamboo had originally come to attend to Shen Qianmo's rest, but seeing this scene, they naturally understood at once. They exchanged a knowing glance and smiled. Green Bamboo blushed, stepped forward shyly to close the door securely, and the two of them withdrew.

The next morning, Shen Qianmo woke in a suffocating embrace.

She opened her eyes and saw Meng Yuanheng's handsome sleeping face close before her, his eyes closed, thin lips lightly pressed together, the corners of his mouth seeming to carry a faint smile.

Clearly, this fellow was dreaming of something pleasant.

Shen Qianmo felt secretly amused. After the lingering tenderness of the previous night, surely this man's jealousy should have subsided by now.

She had never imagined his jealousy could be so fierce, so childish as a little boy's when he gave in to it.

Still, did he really have to hold her this tightly, as though he meant to smother her?

Shen Qianmo slipped out of his arms without making a sound, quietly got out of bed, and dressed. The soreness in her body made her turn back to glare at the sleeping man behind her.

Seeing that he was still sleeping soundly with his eyes shut, she could not help but smile.

He was usually so alert, yet today he slept so deeply. He must have been utterly worn out last night.

The cold poison had not yet fully subsided, so he was already prone to fatigue. Then last night he had no restraint at all, so he deserved to be exhausted.

She recalled the night on the ship to the Unfettered Island when he had helped her dispel the poison. It seemed it had been much the same then.

At the thought, her face grew a little warm.

Shaking her head, she decided not to dwell on such chaotic thoughts. Wanting him to rest a little longer, Shen Qianmo quietly opened the door and stepped into the outer room, planning to wash up first and then instruct Xu Mama and Green Bamboo to prepare breakfast.

Green Bamboo had already set out water for washing in the outer room. Seeing Shen Qianmo, she came forward to serve her, smiling as she said, "Miss, you are up."

Then she looked behind her and, seeing only Shen Qianmo, asked curiously, "Where is the young master?"

Shen Qianmo was rinsing her mouth when she heard the question and nearly choked on the water. She coughed several times, caught her breath, and said with annoyance, "You little imp, what nonsense are you calling him? What young master?"

Green Bamboo handed her the towel, her face full of mischief as she leaned close and whispered, "Miss, there is no need to be shy. It is not the first time..."

"You girl, the more you speak, the more ridiculous you become." Shen Qianmo raised her brows as if to strike her, though a smile tugged at her face.

Green Bamboo clutched her head and pretended to beg for mercy. "Spare me, Miss. This servant knows her mistake. He is not the young master, he is the prince. Is that better?" Then she burst into giggles.

Seeing her so bright and innocent, Shen Qianmo did not take offense. With a faint smile, she ordered, "All right, stop babbling. Go prepare breakfast."

After Shen Qianmo had finished preparing breakfast and made another round through the small courtyard, when she returned to the bedchamber she heard Meng Yuanheng's low, furious shout from within: "Get out."