As soon as she entered the water, she felt a sharp pain in her calf.
Years of experience told her it was a cramp. She held her breath, gently moving her limbs to ease the cramp while slowly descending deeper into the water.
Then, a dull ache flared in her chest.
“Another problem?” The strangeness of it made her reach for her wrist to check her pulse.
What she found was chaos—her pulse was erratic, showing signs of poisoning. Only then did she piece together the memories of the body she now inhabited.
She was the illegitimate second daughter of the Zhen’an General’s household, surnamed Mu and named Wanqing. Though the name differed from her original one, the pronunciation was the same.
This Mu Wanqing was only fifteen, unloved by her father and motherless, with a timid personality that made her an easy target for abuse from family members—even servants.
She clearly remembered stepping out to buy a birthday gift for Chunhong, the maid who had cared for her since childhood. But shortly after leaving, her head grew heavy. That was when she encountered Xianglan, the personal maid of her elder sister, Mu Wanxia, who was out running errands for the general’s household.
Xianglan suggested she might be suffering from heatstroke and offered her a cooling herbal tea. Though Wanqing had never trusted Xianglan, she thought nothing could happen in broad daylight. She drank the tea—only to pass out immediately.
She had always been cautious, patient, and careful, yet they still wouldn’t leave her alone. After drugging her, they had thrown her into a brothel. A cold fury rose in Wanqing’s heart.
Since she had taken over this body, she would live well from now on—and she wouldn’t let a single one of those who had plotted against her escape unscathed.
The cramp in her calf began to ease.
She had hoped the cool water would counteract the effects of the drug, but a wave of scorching heat surged through her, forcing her to gasp and paddle desperately toward the bottom of the pool.
Then, she felt a chill beneath her feet. Instinctively, she swam toward it—only to suddenly plummet through empty air.
When she landed, she found herself at the mouth of a cave.
The steady drip of water echoed around her, but more striking were the ancient furnishings nearby—a bed, a table, food and drink, everything one might need.
Where was this place? As she struggled to her feet, bewildered, a splash echoed in her ears.
“Someone’s in the pool?”
Looking up, she saw a cold spring deeper in the cave. Submerged in it was a naked figure with long, ink-black hair floating in the water. Though she could only glimpse their profile, the sight of this beauty emerging from the water stirred wild imaginings, reigniting the suppressed desire within her.
Step by step, she approached the pool and saw clearly—it was a man. His face was strikingly handsome, his features so refined they could rival a woman’s, his body lean and muscular even beneath the water.
The man’s eyes were slightly closed, his head resting against the rocky edge of the pool, his lips parted as he panted, clearly struggling against something. Waves of heat radiated from him, filling the cavern with mist.
Unaware of her approach, he seemed dangerous at first glance.
The desire burning inside her made her feel like a balloon on the verge of bursting. If she didn’t relieve this soon, she might truly explode.
Him. It had to be him. Gritting her teeth, she tore a strip of cloth from her sleeve, covered her face, pulled out a hairpin, and waded into the pool.
“You—” The man sensed her presence, his hawk-like eyes snapping open—cold, ruthless, and filled with violence. But before he could act, Wanqing struck a pressure point with her hairpin.
Ignoring the icy fury in his gaze, she clung to him, her hands roaming frantically.
She had no prior experience, but instinct took over.
Unmoved by the murderous rage in his bloodshot eyes, she pinned him against the rocky wall.
One passive, one active—yet like dry tinder, they ignited in an instant.
Only when the pain of penetration hit did she freeze in shock. But the fire in her veins left no room for hesitation. She surrendered to instinct once more.
The storm of passion raged on, marked by the man’s furious growls and her own gasps, until at last, stillness returned.
“Ten coppers for one round with you—you got a bargain. Honestly, your skills aren’t great.”
The man lay there, his body marked with evidence of their encounter, glaring at her as if he wanted to snap her neck. Unfazed, Wanqing climbed out, leisurely straightened her clothes, and patted herself down.
Finding a few coppers, she counted them and tossed them beside him. Without a shred of guilt, she turned and strode toward the cave entrance.
In the water, she swam swiftly toward the light above. The moment she surfaced, before she could seek revenge on those who had wronged her—
Chaotic footsteps and shouts erupted from a nearby pavilion.
“Hurry! Everyone to the main hall! Young Master Ye is hunting an assassin—all must be inspected!”
Young Master Ye?
The name gave Wanqing pause. Seizing the chaos of patrons and scantily clad women, she slipped into the building.
Entering a room, she grabbed a man’s robe from a screen, dressed quickly, and lit several candles, setting fire to multiple rooms. As panic erupted, she slipped away unnoticed.
“Chunxiang Brothel… If I weren’t so exhausted and weak today, I’d burn the whole place down. Consider this a small warning. I’ll settle the score properly once I’ve recovered.”
Outside the back gate, listening to the shouts and chaos, Wanqing paused, eyeing the brothel’s sign with cold disdain. Wrapping the oversized robe tighter, she headed toward the general’s household.
The streets were lively despite the late hour, filled with vendors and chatter. No one paid her any mind.
After several turns, she reached a deserted alley—a shortcut to the general’s back gate. Though her legs ached, she pressed on.
Just as she neared the end, a shadow loomed behind her.
“You—” She spun, hairpin ready, but before she could strike, an iron grip seized her throat.
In the dim moonlight, she saw a man clad in black, one hand clutching his shoulder, the other choking her. His eyes were cold, his breath laced with blood. At a glance, she knew—he was gravely injured.
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