Room 520 was cozy to the point of theatrical. The bed was heart-shaped, roses were arranged everywhere, and the air held a faint perfume.
More than that—the fragrance stirred a subtle restlessness, not something ordinary perfume could manage.
Fortunately, both of them were spirit masters, and the effect barely touched them. After taking turns to wash up, Li Chang'an drew a clear "demarcation line" down the middle of the bed with pillows and declared that each would occupy a half.
Shui Bing'er approved. A man could be a little mischievous; too much, though, was off-putting.
Neither of them undressed—only their outer layers came off.
Night deepened. Li Chang'an rolled over and met the blue of Shui Bing'er's eyes; she was still awake. He smiled lightly.
"Why aren't you sleeping, great beauty?"
She shot him a look. First time sharing a bed with a man, she thought. If I could sleep, that would be the miracle. All the more so when that man carried a faint, confusing pull on her heart.
"Emperor Xue Ye and the others will probably leave tomorrow," she said, changing the subject. "How do you plan to settle the Northern King matter for me?"
She didn't have to ask to guess that he might reveal his identity; it was the simplest, most direct solution.
"If I solve it by revealing who I am, it'll be a mess," Li Chang'an said. "It would push the Heaven Dou Empire and Spirit Hall into open hostility. I'm thinking of something with a 98% chance of success—clean and stable."
He turned fully toward her, studying a face that only grew lovelier the longer he looked. His tone stayed serious:
"There are two secure paths. One, your status changes so the Northern King wouldn't dare touch you. Two, his status changes—say he stops being Northern King and becomes just another marquis."
"So your plan is to bring me under Spirit Hall's banner?" Shui Bing'er wasn't slow; she seized the key point at once. Bringing down the Northern King was far harder.
After all, only Emperor Xue Ye could strip him of command—and given the emperor's trust, that was almost impossible. The Northern King had held the frontier for twenty years, commanded deep forces in the army, and was a Spirit Douluo himself. How would the emperor dare move him?
"No," Li Chang'an said, amusement in his eyes. "I choose the second option—pull him down."
Had he not seen the secret meeting of the two emperors today, he might have arranged a new identity for her. But with a chance like this, why waste it?
Of course, he wouldn't do something braindead like disguising himself as the Northern King to assassinate Xue Ye—that sort of plan leaked flaws from every seam.
Kill without a trace; that's the simplest, most efficient way.
"You really have a way to make him step down?" Shui Bing'er propped her head on one hand, studying him. Why did a man this strong also have to be so clever? How are we supposed to live with that?
"I do. A mountain man has his tricks. Give me tomorrow, and it's done. Don't worry." He didn't elaborate. He turned over, clearly intending to sleep.
Spirit masters didn't strictly need sleep—cultivation could substitute—but the pleasure of sleeping was its own thing.
"Wait… can you talk with me a little longer?" Shui Bing'er's hand caught his sleeve. In the dark, she seemed quietly lonely.
"Sure. What do you want to talk about?" His gaze stayed clear as water—though the scenery at close range was… compelling.
"How many girlfriends do you actually have?" she asked, biting her lip.
"Mm… a dozen or so, give or take. Why?" He answered honestly.
"So many? How do you manage all that?" She stared, incredulous. A dozen?!
"Manage your time scientifically and it's fine," he replied.
He didn't hide the number anymore. First, his growing strength had erased many hesitations; second, he didn't want a future where he spent days on end coaxing hurt feelings born of secrets.
"What if… more people start liking you? Would you keep… finding more?" she asked softly.
"That depends," he said. "On whether I like her."
"Do you like me?" Shui Bing'er asked, suddenly proud and coy at once.
"You're all right," he said, rubbing his waist with a grin. "Why, do you like me?"
"Heh. You think too much. I don't want to share a man with that many girls. Your head is full of bad ideas. Go to sleep. Good night." She turned away, leaving him a sinuous silhouette.
"Hey now—that's unfair," he muttered. "How could a 'scumbag' have bad intentions? I'm just trying to share my love with everyone."
He didn't turn over—just let his gaze rest on that elegant curve and the peach-soft lift of her hips until sleep pulled at his eyes.
Well… not yet a peach, he corrected himself, opening one eye for another glance. At best… a ripe—
He left the thought unfinished and drifted off.
—
In the morning, Shui Bing'er woke in a warm embrace, a large hand resting—occasionally giving a light squeeze—on her ass. She blinked up at Li Chang'an, who had rolled well past the "border" to wrap her in a natural, practiced hold.
'How many women has he held like this,' she fumed, cheeks burning, 'to make it feel this easy?'
No wonder she hadn't noticed and slept straight through.
Remembering his words from the night before, her temper flared. She shoved him hard and shouted, "Get off me, you scoundrel!"
—
She spent a long time smoothing the wrinkles out of her clothes—especially that spot. It felt like his hand had crumpled the fabric past repair.
Li Chang'an had breakfast sent up. They ate in a silence that was not quite awkward—then he rose to leave.
"Wait for me," he said at the door. "When I return, it'll be settled. Don't get involved. I told you I'd help—so trust me."
It was the kind of promise that settled the heart. For a moment, Shui Bing'er almost believed what he'd said last night—that he had no bad intentions, just a willingness to give his love to each person who needed it.
"Pah, pah!" She shook her head sharply.
'What are you thinking, Shui Bing'er? He's a scoundrel!'