Compendio de hombres apuestos en el mundo de las artes marciales

Capítulo 107

Zhan Yun nodded: "We can tell Lord Cao to keep an eye on things when his men patrol the city. If Yi Ran's appearance is as striking as he said, and her hair color is also unusual, she should attract a lot of attention."

Zhou Yufei looked up at the blue sky and white clouds in the distance, his face heavy with regret: "You were such a beautiful woman, why did you have to become a thief!"

Xiao Changqing rolled his eyes and snorted, "Kid! The prettier something is, the more dangerous it is, don't you understand?"

Zhan Yun shook his head and chuckled, while Zhao Ting bluntly mocked in a cold voice, "Ignore him! This kid loses his soul every time he sees a beautiful woman, he doesn't remember anything about danger."

Zhou Yufei narrowed his peach blossom eyes and retorted defiantly, "Hey, if I hadn't noticed that beauty, how would you have come up with so many clues!"

Everyone drank their tea in silence. A gentle breeze blew by, and the cicadas chirped louder among the trees…

Author's Note: There will be an update tomorrow at 9 AM!

I know this chapter was a bit dry, but please be patient, the next chapter will be much better!

Ahem, just a quick preview of tomorrow's content: Zhanzhan's wall-climbing adventure + Chenchen's jealousy adventure. I'm very satisfied, hehehe~

94

Chapter Eleven: Seduction • A Cunning Plan...

Night falls.

A few creamy-white gardenia petals were sprinkled in the bathtub, floating with the water and releasing a faint, sweet fragrance. Duan Chen leaned against the side of the tub, gently exhaled, and reached out to pick up a whole gardenia flower. He recalled the scene of that person standing at his door, handing him a small bamboo basket.

The longer Duan Chen spent with this person, the more he felt the man's perfectly balanced gentleness and thoughtfulness. Take bathing, for example. Having spent many years traveling the world alone, he mostly adhered to the principle of simplicity. As long as he could take a hot bath, he wouldn't even consider things like flower petals or spices. Occasionally, when he recalled the comfortable and luxurious life of his childhood, he would just smile and move on.

Earlier, a servant had brought hot water over, and before long, there was a knock at the door. Fortunately, the weather was hot and the water was boiling, so Duan Chen poured some cool water into the bucket and was testing the temperature with his hand, so he hadn't changed his clothes yet. When he opened the door, he saw the person holding a folding fan in one hand and a small bamboo basket in the other, looking at him with a smile in their eyes.

Taking the bamboo basket, she saw a small bunch of white flowers, as white as clouds and snow. Duan Chen was so surprised she didn't know what to say. Zhan Yun didn't say much either, only wishing her a good night's sleep, then gently stroked her cheek before leaving.

The milky-white petals were smooth to the touch, and with a slight pressure from his fingertips, a little transparent sap oozed out, carrying a sweet scent. Duan Chen's lips curved slightly, his usually aloof expression softening, revealing a tenderness he himself was unaware of.

As her fair hand slipped into the water, she heard two soft "scratching" sounds from the eaves above her head. The sound was extremely faint, yet it made Duan Chen's body tense instantly. The next moment, Duan Chen reached out and grabbed the clothes hanging on the screen. With her other hand pushing herself up, she leaped out of the bathtub, and at the same time, a white robe wrapped around her entire body.

Without time to change, Duan Chen quickly tied the belt under his arm, threw on an outer robe, pushed open the window, and leaped onto the roof. The summer night sky was bright with stars, and the chirping of cicadas could be heard from not far away. Only a few lamps were still lit in the palace. After quickly looking around, there wasn't a soul in sight. Duan Chen's brows furrowed slightly, and in the instant he turned his head, he felt something flash past the corner of his eye.

Barefoot, Duan Chen held his breath and used his lightness skill to reach the top of the house next to his. He tiptoed to the spot where the light had previously shone, and saw half a tile had been lifted and placed aside. Duan Chen's heart skipped a beat, his brow furrowing as he leaned down to peer inside.

Originally prepared to rush in at the first sign of trouble, Duan Chen's phoenix eyes widened in shock the next instant. He gritted his teeth, barely suppressing a sharp gasp. In the dim light, the man who had smiled gently at him not long ago was sitting back in a chair, his clothes wide open, embracing another woman whose clothes were equally disheveled. The expression on his face was something he had never seen before… cold, yet alluring. His handsome eyebrows were slightly raised, his crescent-shaped eyes swirling with a captivating charm, and his slightly pink lips curved into a mischievous smile, slowly opening and closing as if whispering sweet nothings.

Duan Chen felt a pang in his heart, clenching his teeth to suppress his slightly disordered breathing. His phoenix eyes were veiled with a faint red mist. How could he… He shook his head violently, clutching the clothes at his chest tightly. Duan Chen held his breath and continued watching. He saw the woman in Zhan Yun's arms gradually sway her hips, a hand painted with bright red nail polish gently caressing her pale honey-colored, bare chest, a seductive caress, before probing deeper into her clothes.

Duan Chen clenched his fists tighter against his chest, a tingling pain shooting through his heart, accompanied by waves of increasingly intense sourness in his stomach. Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the room. Duan Chen's eyes widened abruptly as he saw the woman shove Zhan Yun, chair and all, to the ground. As she bent down to fasten the belt of her clothes, a soft groan escaped her lips.

After straightening her clothes and adjusting the hairpins in her hair, the woman suddenly turned around, looked up at Duan Chen, blinked her alluring eyes, and a strangely beautiful smile appeared on her exquisite face. Then, she leaped out of the window, her figure swiftly soaring onto the roof of a nearby building, and quickly disappeared into the vast night.

Duan Chen had noticed something amiss when Zhan Yun collapsed to the ground. Now, seeing the woman's every move and noticing the complete silence in the palace, his mind became even clearer. He slowly stood up, leaped off the roof, and without looking back, turned and walked back to his room.

The door behind her creaked open, and then someone grabbed her waist. The person still smelled faintly of perfume, and their clear voice carried a hint of panic: "Chen'er!"

Duan Chen remained motionless, her phoenix eyes half-closed, her pink lips tightly pressed together, her small face devoid of color. Zhan Yun sensed something was wrong and quickly turned her around. Duan Chen slightly raised her eyes and saw that the person before her was still somewhat disheveled in her snow-white clothes, the belt tied haphazardly, and a striking red lip print imprinted on her slender neck. Duan Chen glanced away, her fair brows furrowing slightly, a faint look of disgust appearing between her brows.

Zhan Yun clearly saw the change in the expression of the person in his arms, and his heart tightened. He reached out to lift Duan Chen's chin, his voice filled with caution: "Chen'er?"

Duan Chen reached out to push his chest away, his cool fingers touching the warm, smooth skin. Remembering the woman's caresses of his chest earlier, he couldn't help but tremble. He turned his head away with his eyes half-closed, leaning back, not wanting to be too close to him: "Let go."

Zhan Yun noticed the coolness of her fingers. Looking down, he saw that her clothes were disheveled, her white robe almost soaked through, and her long hair cascaded down her back, making her small face appear even more delicate and charming. Her jade-like feet were bare, stained with a little mud. Seeing the slightly damp ends of her hair, Zhan Yun quickly understood what had happened. Looking at the long-unseen aloofness and obvious, faint disgust in the woman's eyes, Zhan Yun's brow furrowed, and a pang of pain shot through his heart.

He stepped back, released his embrace, bent down and picked the person up in his arms. Just as he was about to head to his room, he remembered that the person in his arms had seen the scene earlier. Zhan Yun pursed his lips and turned to walk into Duan Chen's room.

Duan Chen, held in this person's arms, initially struggled fiercely, punching him several times without mercy. His knuckles ached from the blows, but the person remained unmoved, gazing at him with tender, apologetic eyes. Duan Chen, still angry, simply turned away, refusing to look at him. His half-closed eyes stung slightly. He bit his inner lip hard, inwardly cursing himself for being so weak.

Zhan Yun sensed someone gesturing to him from the shadows. He glanced up, his crescent-shaped eyes slightly cold, and a hint of anger flickered across his handsome face. The two men simultaneously shrank back, bowing and scraping repeatedly, silently apologizing and expressing their gratitude. Zhan Yun nodded slightly to them, and they returned the bow before quietly disappearing into the night.

As soon as Zhan Yun pushed open the door, a faint, sweet floral scent carrying a hint of moisture wafted towards him, exactly the same scent as the beauty in his arms. Zhan Yun sighed inwardly, hooked his foot to close the door, carefully placed her on the bed, and said in a clear voice with a slight hoarseness, "I'm sorry."

Duan Chen kept her eyes half-closed, unwilling to look at anyone. Her pink lips were tightly pursed, and her expression was fiercely stubborn. But Zhan Yun could see clearly that this person was forcibly holding back tears. Feeling both self-reproach and heartache, Zhan Yun's chest softened completely. She sighed, walked behind the screen, took a clean handkerchief, soaked it in the warm water in the small basin next to the bathtub, wrung it out, and returned to the bedside, reaching out to stroke the beauty's ankle.

Duan Chen shuddered and looked up at him, only to see that the man had already squatted down by the bed, holding his ankle in one hand and gently wiping it with a warm handkerchief in the other.

Duan Chen pursed his lips and lowered his eyes, a bitter feeling welling up inside him like a tidal wave, churning and surging, making it hard to breathe. He propped himself up on one elbow and reached for the cloth in Zhan Yun's hand. But Zhan Yun wouldn't let him, wiping one of his little feet clean, then taking the other one and gently wiping it with his hands.

Duan Chen found this person infuriating, but being served like this felt awkward, so he turned his head to look out the window. Unexpectedly, this made the sensation under his feet even more acute. His ankle was being gently and tenderly cradled by a hand, a warm towel brushing across his delicate sole and sliding down to his toes…

After finally finishing wiping everything, before the person could even let go, Duan Chen had already pulled his legs back, sat on the edge of the bed with his knees together, tilted his head slightly, and remained silent.

Zhan Yun got up and went behind the screen to wash the handkerchief clean. He then tidied his clothes slightly before returning to the bedside. Knowing he had indeed gone too far this time, and remembering that Duan Chen had seen his previous sordid scene, Zhan Yun felt both self-reproach and remorse. His handsome face gradually lost its usual composure. Standing by the bed, looking at the beauty's profile, his voice was low and slightly hoarse: "Chen'er, I was wrong this time. I promise, it won't happen again. Please don't be angry anymore, okay?"

Duan Chen remained silent for a moment, then slowly turned to look at him. From his newly tied hair to his sincere and apologetic eyes, to his slightly tense jawline due to nervousness, her gaze finally settled on the bright red hickey on his neck, and her lips unconsciously tightened. Zhan Yun followed her gaze to his neck, then looked again, his expression changing slightly: "Chen'er, I..."

Duan Chen looked at him quietly, without saying a word. Zhan Yun, growing impatient, knelt on one knee beside the bed, reached out and covered Duan Chen's small hand resting on her knee, looking up at her: "Chen'er, this time it was my fault. If you want to hit or scold me, just do it. Don't hold it in, okay?"

Zhan Yun knew that this person had been accustomed to loneliness for many years, rarely showing her emotions. Whether happy or unhappy, her expression was always calm, but she was truly calculating in her heart. He didn't want her to keep things bottled up, especially when she was in a bad mood. In the past, whenever he sensed that she was unhappy, Zhan Yun would always try his best to distract her, either by making her talk, or by finding something for her to think about, and sometimes he would even deliberately get close to her so that she wouldn't have time to think about those troublesome things. But this time, he was the one who had upset her, and it was indeed his fault, so he couldn't use the old methods anymore.

Duan Chen frowned and looked at him: "A man's knees are worth gold."

Zhan Yun said with a sincere and frank expression, "If you do something wrong, you should apologize and be punished."

Duan Chen remained silent for a while, then asked softly, "Were they sent by the Third Prince?"

Zhan Yun nodded slightly: "This time, the imperial court is determined to deal with the Third Prince and Zhao Lin. Zhao Qi informed Zhao Ting early on that the Third Prince would be making a move in the next couple of days. That woman is a notorious thief in the martial arts world, skilled at using her beauty and drugs to seduce men and steal valuables for her employers, and most of the stolen items are shady. The Third Prince's residence has already planted imperial agents, ready to arrest her as soon as the two sides make contact. Kaifeng Prefecture has prepared the woman's case file in advance, and it is estimated that the court will hold a trial overnight."

Duan Chen pursed his lips and listened to him finish speaking, then turned his face slightly away: "Go take a bath."

Zhan Yun was slightly taken aback, then remembered the faint disgust Duan Chen had shown earlier, and quickly realized what was going on. A gentle smile appeared on her lips, and Zhan Yun propped herself up slightly on the edge of the bed: "Chen'er, nothing happened between her and me."