Lingyin suddenly jolted awake from her sleep.
She quickly wiped away her tears.
"Qin Ming! Qin Ming, you're awake! That's wonderful! Wuwu…
Qin Ming, I'll go report to the Grand Princess right away!"
Just as she got up, Qin Ming grabbed her arm.
He gently shook his head.
"No need. It's the middle of the night—I just want to see you, Sister Lingyin.
I don't want to see anyone else."
Lingyin wiped her tears again and sat back down beside the bed.
She reached out and gently touched Qin Ming's forehead.
"How are you feeling? Does your body still hurt?"
"Not at all. How much medicine did you feed me?"
"The Grand Princess asked the Empress for Blood Lingzhi and took several thousand-year-old medicinal ingredients from the Imperial Medical Hall just for you!"
"I don't believe that tigress has such a soft heart."
"Qin Ming, the Grand Princess has a bad temper, but she's not a bad person.
When you collapsed from your injuries, she was so anxious.
She kept transferring her spiritual energy to you—for three whole hours."
Qin Ming frowned slightly.
So, that dominant and fierce spiritual energy in his body actually came from the Grand Princess?
Could that crazy woman really be so kind?
Then, he noticed Lingyin's arm was ice-cold, and her clothing was far too thin for this weather.
"Sister Lingyin, it's snowing heavily outside—why are you sitting here dressed so lightly?"
"I was worried about you and needed to be ready to feed you medicine at any moment."
Qin Ming tugged at her arm.
"Come here."
"Huh? Come where?"
"Into the bed."
"Q-Qin Ming, this..."
"Sister Lingyin, be good. I already told you, I'll marry you one day.
I can't just watch you freeze out there."
Lingyin's cheeks flushed bright red.
She bit her soft lips and nervously glanced toward the door.
Outside, snow fell in silence, the world dark and still.
The Grand Princess's room was still lit, but there was no movement.
Lingyin quietly shut the door and walked back to the bed.
Before she could react, Qin Ming pulled her into the covers.
Her thin robes did little to stop the wild beating of her heart.
Her face turned red all the way to her neck.
Qin Ming's strong arm slid around her waist, pulling her tightly against him.
"Qin Ming, I… I'm scared."
"I'm here. No need to be afraid."
"It's warmer with you in my arms. I'm not going to do anything—why are you so nervous?"
"Qin Ming, y-you're too close…"
Lingyin shyly pushed against his chest.
But the moment her hand landed, she pressed right into one of his wounds.
Qin Ming's face twitched in pain.
"What's wrong? Qin Ming, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!"
Lingyin hurriedly apologized.
But Qin Ming grabbed her arm again and pulled her back into his embrace.
In the next breath, he turned slightly and gently kissed her forehead.
"Qin Ming, d-don't move! You're injured!"
"I won't move. Sister Lingyin, your hands are freezing. Put them inside my clothes."
"Your body is covered in wounds!"
"Then I'll put my hands inside your clothes."
Lingyin's face turned as red as a ripe apple.
After three breaths of silence, she gave a small, hesitant nod.
…
Early Morning: A Snowy Awakening
The morning was dim, the sky still heavy with darkness.
Lingyin quietly slipped out of the bed.
She hurriedly straightened her clothes, tidied up the medicine bowls and the embers in the stove.
Before long, Qin Ming also woke up.
He stretched lazily and sat up.
"Sister Lingyin, these medicines worked wonders—my wounds have healed quite a bit."
"The snow outside is heavy. You should stay in bed and continue recovering."
"No, I've been lying down for too long—I'll waste away at this rate.
I need some fresh air."
After washing up, Lingyin handed him a set of clean white robes and helped him comb his hair into a neat topknot.
What a handsome man!
The more Lingyin looked, the more joy filled her heart.
As Qin Ming pushed open the door—
Outside stood a drowsy, disheveled Mengtu Captain, still half-asleep.
She rubbed her face groggily and spoke in a lazy tone,
"The Grand Princess sent me to check on you, Little Qin Zi."
Qin Ming leaned against the door and made a grand gesture.
"Go in and see for yourself!"
"Oh!" Mengtu took a couple of steps inside before sensing something was off.
She suddenly looked up—
Qin Ming's handsome face was right in front of her, smiling.
"You're awake!"
Damn, this guy looks even more good-looking up close!
And that white robe just adds to his charm…
Wait!
Meng Tu suddenly realized—she hadn't even brushed her hair!
She had rushed over with her hair still messy, completely unkempt.
In a panic, she turned around, covered her face, and bolted.
"Ahhh! This is so embarrassing!"
Her sudden scream startled the entire Twelve Zodiac Guard.
Even the Grand Princess, standing by the eleventh-floor window of the Upper Hall, looked out.
Qin Ming stepped outside, taking a deep breath of fresh air.
Then, he grabbed a piece of ice from a lotus leaf and began to crunch on it.
"Crack, crunch, crunch…"
Back when he had shared ice with Lingyin, it had felt cold.
But now? His energy surged so powerfully that eating ice felt refreshingly comfortable.
"Creak—"
The octagonal mystic window of the eleventh-floor creaked open.
The Grand Princess stood there, her hair neatly groomed—but it was unclear whether she had slept or simply woken early.
"You're eating ice first thing in the morning?"
"Your wounds just healed. Are you trying to die?"
Qin Ming smiled and bowed.
"Thank you for your concern, Grand Princess.
I took too much medicine while recovering, and my energy is running hot.
If I don't eat something cold, I'll burn up from the inside!"
On the rooftop, Mei Yang chuckled secretly.
The Grand Princess's expression immediately darkened.
"What are you laughing at?!"
Then, her gaze turned sharp as she called out—
"Little Qin Zi! Get up here."
"I have questions for you."
"Yes!"
Qin Ming immediately headed upstairs.
His wounds hadn't fully healed, and pain still throbbed faintly in his body…
A Heated Encounter: Borrowing a Knife to Kill
As soon as Qin Ming stepped into the room, a wave of warmth enveloped him.
The Grand Princess remained seated on her sandalwood chair, her long, slender legs gleaming with a porcelain-like radiance.
"Three days ago, you failed to answer my question properly."
She lifted her gaze, her expression unreadable.
"I asked you—when you carried me to bed that day, did you touch me?"
"Yes, but it was through your clothes."
"From now on, that is not allowed. Understood?"
"Understood. Next time the Grand Princess faints, I'll just stand aside and watch!"
Silence.
For a moment, Han Yuexi was completely speechless.
She lifted her head, her peerless face tinged with a hint of anger.
"That day, the ones who attacked you—were they independent cultivators, or were they part of an organization?"
Qin Ming hadn't expected her to ask this.
But since the Greedy Daoist of the Tiandao Sect had been targeting his master, why not take this chance to let the Grand Princess deal with them for him?
Perfect opportunity to borrow a knife to kill.
"Reporting to the Grand Princess, the ones who tried to kill me seemed to be from the Tiandao Sect. I heard they're hiding in East Buddha Mountain."
Swish!
The Grand Princess shot to her feet.
"I had long suspected that East Buddha Mountain was harboring time-travelers.
I just didn't expect them to be so bold!
Daring to cause trouble in the Fluorite Imperial City,
Even hurting someone from my Taiyin Palace?!"
Her voice was icy, sharp as a blade.
Without hesitation, she raised her hand.
Shing!
The Moonshadow Sword hanging on the wall flew straight into her palm.
"Grand Princess, are you…?"
"Going to kill them."