The soft golden light of morning slipped through the silken curtains of the guest pavilion, painting long shadows across the bed. The fragrance of sandalwood lingered in the air, mingled with the faint scent of lotus petals and warmth.
Xiao Tian lay half-covered beneath silk sheets, his chest bare, lightly marked with red crescents left by hungry fingers. Beside him, Meng Luan rested with her head on his shoulder, her body curled against his like a satisfied cat.
Her silky black hair was tousled, her breathing even. The cold, disciplined mask she always wore had melted away during the night, replaced with something softer, something raw.
Their night had been long—long enough that even Xiao Tian had silently thanked the system for his inhuman endurance. Meng Luan, the frosty guardian elder, had clung to him as if she would never let go, her cold reserve melting into shyness, need, and finally—surrender.
Xiao Tian smiled faintly, brushing a strand of hair away from her cheek. "Sister Luan, awake?"
"Mmm…" Meng Luan murmured sleepily, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder before turning her face slightly away. Her ears, however, betrayed her—already tinged pink.
Xiao Tian chuckled inwardly. Even after all that, she's still embarrassed to face me in the morning. How adorable.
Before she could bury herself under the quilt, a firm knock echoed through the courtyard door.
Meng Luan's eyes shot open, wide and startled. "Y-you…!" she started, but Xiao Tian placed a finger on her lips, grinning.
"You stay here. I'll handle it."
Reluctantly, she released him, quickly pulling the quilt up to her neck as if her icy dignity could still be salvaged after the way she had begged him last night. Xiao Tian couldn't resist stealing one more glance before leaving—her slender neck, faintly flushed cheeks, and the way her delicate toes curled beneath the blanket.
Truly… a hidden treasure all to myself.
He dressed swiftly and stepped outside, shutting the bedroom door behind him. At the courtyard gate, one of his personal guards stood waiting with a solemn expression.
"What happened?" Xiao Tian asked, his tone calm but sharp.
"Your Highness, forgive me for disturbing your rest," the guard began with a bow. "It is regarding the person you instructed us to monitor. Ye Fan has been imprisoned. Last night, he attempted to steal the most important treasure of the Purple Mist Sacred Land. He would have succeeded, but Elder Chang intervened, and the sect master personally ordered his capture. He is now locked within the sect prison."
"Oh?" Xiao Tian's brow arched. A faint smirk tugged at his lips. "That fellow actually dared to make his move so soon? Seems his luck has been cut short this time."
Still, inwardly, Xiao Tian's mind raced. A treasure so important that Ye Fan would risk sneaking into the treasury himself… heh, that must be extraordinary. Since fate already delivered him into the sect's hands, it would be wasteful if I didn't step in.
He dismissed the guard with a nod and returned inside.
Meng Luan had already risen from the bed, draped in a loose silk robe that clung to her curves in a way that was more dangerous than her bare body. She sat by the low dressing table, combing out her dark, dishevelled hair with slow strokes, her movements graceful, almost lazy. But when her eyes met his in the mirror, they flickered with a faint, dangerous glint.
"You look pleased with yourself," she said coolly, though the faint tremor in her voice betrayed that she was not entirely recovered from last night.
Xiao Tian walked up behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders, leaning close so his breath tickled her ear. "Shouldn't I be? A cold fairy turned into my obedient little wife overnight… how could I not be pleased?"
Her cheeks coloured immediately, and she swatted his arm lightly with the comb. "Shameless."
He chuckled and pressed his lips near her ear, whispering, "But last night, weren't you the one begging me not to stop? Elder Meng, was that really you, or was I dreaming?"
"You—!" Meng Luan spun, her hand shooting up to cover his mouth before he could tease further, her face burning red. "Say another word and I'll…"
Her threat trailed off into silence, because even she didn't know what she could do now.
Xiao Tian gently removed her hand, kissing her palm with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Relax, I won't tell a soul. Your secret is safe with me."
Meng Luan glared at him, but her lips curved faintly despite herself. She shook her head and muttered, "You're incorrigible."
Xiao Tian only laughed softly. Then his gaze shifted slightly, his voice dropping into something deeper.
"There's news. That brat Ye Fan—he's been caught trying to steal a treasure from the treasury. Now he's rotting in the sect prison."
Meng Luan's eyes sharpened at once, her playful embarrassment vanishing into seriousness. "The treasury? Then… the sect master will not let this matter go lightly. For Ye Fan to attempt such a thing, the item must be extraordinary."
Xiao Tian's smile grew faint, mysterious. "Exactly. Which means… we'll be having some fun soon."
"I don't understand why you care about him so much. What is so special about him that..." Meng Luan asked curiously. This matter was puzzling her for some time.
"Well, I can't explain it to you; it is hard to explain." Xiao Tian replied with a grin, slipping his arm around her waist.
She pinched him lightly but didn't pull away.