12: Night Fragrance

The night was like ink, the crescent moon like a hook, with strands of clear light filtering through the branches, casting mottled shadows on the bluestone pavement.

Situ Jun stood under the corridor, looking up at the thin moon in the sky, his Adam's apple bobbing continuously.

His palms were already soaked with layers of sweat, the sticky sensation making him subconsciously rub them against his robe's hem, yet the dry heat brought on by his nervousness didn't diminish in the slightest.

Inside the inner chamber, the sandalwood in the incense burner was burning at an alarming rate, the curling green smoke spiraling upward like an invisible python, greedily devouring time.

The sounds of laughter and the clinking of cups inside the room gradually faded, replaced by a blanket of silence; presumably, Cui Zhu and Chun Hua had finished attending to Liu Xuaner as she retired for the night.

Situ Jun held his breath and focused, listening intently to the movements inside the room, his heart pounding violently in his chest as if it were about to break free.

Before long, two figures slowly walked out of the inner chamber.

Cui Zhu rubbed her bleary eyes, the lingering sleepiness still hanging on the corners of her lips; Chun Hua covered her mouth, letting out several yawns in a row.

Seeing this, Situ Jun immediately put on a warm smile and stepped forward quickly:

"Miss Cui Zhu, Miss Chun Hua, has the Madam finished her meal? Shall I go in and tidy up?"

Cui Zhu looked up, her gaze somewhat unfocused:

"Oh, it's you. Madam has already gone to sleep. Tidy up quietly and don't make any noise."

As she spoke, she moved aside, her whole body looking as if she might collapse to the ground at any moment.

Situ Jun's eyes flickered slightly, his tone becoming even more concerned:

"You two must be tired from taking care of Madam. Why don't you go and rest first? I'll go in and tidy up by myself."

Hearing this, Chun Hua showed a look of hesitation, her brow furrowing slightly:

"Is this... appropriate?"

Situ Jun feigned surprise, widening his eyes with a tone full of sincerity:

"Don't worry, what's inappropriate about it? I'm just collecting some dishes and will be out soon. Besides, I still have to guard the courtyard for Madam. You don't think I'd do something against her, do you? Madam is a Foundation Establishment Stage expert; who in the manor would dare to harm her?"

Cui Zhu and Chun Hua glanced at each other, finding his words reasonable.

Cui Zhu waved her hand, took Chun Hua's hand, and walked unsteadily toward the room on the left side of the courtyard:

"Then go in and tidy up quickly. Chun Hua and I are going to sleep; I'm really sleepy tonight..."

As the door slowly closed with a "creak," Situ Jun's heart instantly leaped into his throat, the pounding in his chest intensifying as if it were about to burst.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the surging nervousness and excitement in his heart, and gently pushed open the door to Liu Xuaner's bedroom.

A faint aroma of food mixed with the residual scent of sandalwood wafted toward him; the leftovers on the table had long since gone cold, while in the inner room, Liu Xuaner's light and rhythmic breathing was clearly audible.

By now, the sandalwood had completely burned out, leaving only a trace of lingering fragrance in the air.

Situ Jun held his breath and quickly opened the window. The night wind rushed in with a hint of coolness, dispersing the unsettling atmosphere in the room.

After a long while, he finally calmed his mind a bit, tidied the dishes on the table one by one, and gently placed them into the carrying basket.

Standing before the gauze curtain, Situ Jun hesitated repeatedly, his fingertips trembling slightly.

Finally, he gritted his teeth and reached out to slowly lift the thin gauze curtain.

Inside the inner chamber, the flickering candlelight illuminated a scene that made one's Bloodline boil:

Liu Xuaner lay on her side with her eyes closed. Since it was summer, she wore a gold-threaded silver mandarin duck bellyband. The mandarin ducks embroidered with gold thread looked lifelike, as if they were about to spread their wings and fly.

Her undergarments outlined her slender waist and the curves of her rounded hips. Her fair and smooth face glowed with a slight blush under the candlelight, several strands of black hair fell casually across her chest, and her jade-like arms were exposed, gleaming with a lustrous sheen.

Beneath her undergarments, a pair of beautiful legs were long and well-proportioned, with elegant and smooth lines.

Her feet were bare, her rounded and cute toes looking like meticulously carved jade, so white and tender they seemed as if water could be squeezed out of them.

Situ Jun felt a rush of blood go straight to his head; his breath seemed to carry scorching sparks, and his mouth was extremely dry.

He walked slowly to the bedside, his voice trembling slightly:

"Madam? Madam!"

He called twice, but Liu Xuaner did not respond at all.

Situ Jun thought to himself:

Did this soul-bewitching pill just knock her out? Well, being unconscious is fine; at least it's effective.

He tentatively reached out his hand, and as soon as his fingertips touched Liu Xuaner's shoulder, the soft and smooth sensation felt like an electric current traveling through his arm to his entire body.

He shook her gently a few times, thinking Liu Xuaner would continue to sleep, but to his surprise, she actually began to wake up.

Situ Jun turned pale with fright, as if struck by lightning. He stood up abruptly, not daring to make a sound. His feet felt as if they were nailed to the floor; he didn't dare to leave, yet he didn't know what to do, his heart filled with despair:

This is it, I'm doomed!

However, Liu Xuaner dizzily reached out her jade-like hand, grabbed Situ Jun's hand, and said coquettishly:

"Hmm, Manor Lord husband? You've come. You haven't come to spend the night with me for several years. I missed you so much."

As she spoke, she pulled hard, and Situ Jun fell uncontrollably onto her delicate body.

"Husband..."

Liu Xuaner's voice was soft and charming, with a hint of playfulness, her eyes alluring and her red lips slightly parted.

Whether it was because of the soul-bewitching pill or not, she completely failed to recognize that the person before her was not the City Lord.

Situ Jun gazed at the alluring face before him, smelling the faint fragrance emanating from her body, and his reason was instantly... devoured.

Trembling, he pulled down the bed curtains and lowered his head to kiss those intoxicating red lips... "Husband..."

From within the bed curtains came Liu Xuaner's shy, trembling voice.

Before long, a gust of night wind quietly blew into the room, and the bed curtains drifted with the wind.

When the first ray of morning light pierced the night and spilled into the room, Situ Jun suddenly woke up.

Beside him, Liu Xuaner was still fast asleep, a smile on her pink cheeks and the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, as if still immersed in last night's beautiful dream.

Situ Jun gave a bitter smile, reached out to pull over the silk blanket, and gently covered her alluring body.

Recalling the madness of last night, Situ Jun couldn't help but rub his aching waist.

Liu Xuaner was a Foundation Establishment Major Cultivator and the City Lord's concubine, as radiant as a peach or plum and as beautiful as a Heavenly Immortal, yet he... had actually developed such a relationship with her!

"I actually slept with... I actually really..."

Situ Jun murmured to himself, his eyes full of disbelief.

The lingering scent of intimacy in the air and the messy bed were all reminders that this was no dream, but something that had truly happened.

Causing chaos in the City Lord's harem was a capital offense; once discovered, he would surely be dead without a place for burial! But that indescribable thrill and the immense sense of achievement from conquering a powerful person were like opium, deeply attracting him and making him indulge without being able to pull himself out.

"It's time to go. It feels like the effects of the drug are about to wear off."

Situ Jun sighed softly, suppressed the reluctance in his heart, and got up to put on his clothes.

He carefully tidied the messy bed and tucked in the corners of the quilt for Liu Xuaner, his gaze lingering on her exquisite face for a long time.

While Cui Zhu and Chun Hua were still asleep, Situ Jun picked up the dishes and left in a hurry.

After returning the dishes to the kitchen, he held his waist and slowly returned to the Manor Soldiers' quarters.

He sat down heavily, picked up the teacup on the table, and gulped down two large cups of strong tea before his excitement finally began to subside.

"Oh, right..."

Situ Jun suddenly remembered the faint System notifications from last night. At that time, his heart was filled only with the beauty before him, and he had no mind to pay attention to them.

He thought to himself:

"Open System messages."

In an instant, a series of crisp notification sounds rang out in his mind:

[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for successfully conquering Liu Xuaner, causing the City Lord Bei Batian's Luck to be damaged. Gained 200 points of heavenly luck value.]

[Note: Because the Host took advantage of a precarious situation and the other party is unaware of the Host's identity, the reward is halved.]

[Ding! The Host's first successful conquest. The System rewards the Host with 1 Advanced Lucky Draw opportunity and 10 Elementary Lucky Draw opportunities. Items are obtained randomly. Proceed?]

Situ Jun was stunned, his eyes full of confusion:

"Eh? Where did this Lucky Draw thing come from?"

Driven by curiosity, he couldn't wait to check it out.

It turned out that after he conquered Liu Xuaner, the System had quietly upgraded, and a heavenly luck value Lucky Draw option had appeared in the Mall. An Elementary Lucky Draw costs 10 heavenly luck value points, with prizes mostly being miscellaneous goods; an Intermediate Lucky Draw requires 100 heavenly luck value points, with the probability of obtaining valuable items being ten times that of the Elementary level; and an Advanced Lucky Draw costs 1,000 heavenly luck value points, which guarantees a valuable item, though the prize is random.

Situ Jun rubbed his chin, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

Looking at the rising sun outside the window, he already had a plan in mind. This might just be the opportunity to change his fate...