Gu Fangchen's hand trembled as he touched the soft, fair cheek of the "Xuexiang" before him.
To be honest, the realization terrified him.
He had thought he was teasing his own personal maid, indulging in a moment of tenderness after surviving disaster.
Who could have imagined that, in the next instant, the one beneath him would turn out to be none other than the Grand Preceptor of the Divine Mandate, the woman who stood just beneath the Emperor of Great Wei, and who would not hesitate to behead even the Yong'an Emperor himself if it meant preserving the nation's destiny.
She had once severed a dragon's head. What other head could she not cut off?
And now... his was standing tall right before her.
But then, in the very next second, Gu Fangchen came to his senses.
If the Grand Preceptor had only just arrived, she should have immediately averted her eyes from such a scene. Yet now, she was completely calm, showing no visible reaction.
That meant she had not just arrived. In fact, it was highly likely that from the very beginning, the one he had pressed beneath him was never Xuexiang at all.
He remembered how "Xuexiang," amidst her panic and confusion, had cried out not "Your Highness" or "Young Master," but his name.
Given Xuexiang's shy and timid nature, always shrinking away like a touch-me-not at the slightest contact, where would she find the courage to call out his name directly?
Even if she were terrified, she would never have told him to get off.
Therefore, the one he had pinned down just now was not Xuexiang, but Xu Fu!
Gu Fangchen's gaze grew complicated as he looked at the young maid before him, flushed, restless, unable to meet his eyes.
Even with his hand still resting against her cheek, even after he'd asked her to "help," she had not refused.
He thought for a moment, and realization dawned. The Grand Preceptor cared too much about her dignity.
If she left now, Xuexiang would faint in confusion. One question from him, and he would instantly realize the truth, that the woman he had pressed beneath him moments ago was the Grand Preceptor herself.
For someone who needed to work closely with him in the long term, such humiliation would destroy the authority she held over him. It would lower her in the eyes of the "lustful, worldly" persona he portrayed.
Everyone knew that the unattainable always seemed most precious.
In Xu Fu's eyes, Gu Fangchen only cooperated with her for two reasons: wealth and desire.
He already had the money, what remained was his "affection for the Grand Preceptor."
Naturally, Xu Fu had to keep a tight hold on that.
It wasn't that she was overly concerned with propriety; for the sake of pursuing "Peace under Heaven," she would use even herself as a bargaining chip if necessary.
But even if she offered sweetness, it wasn't meant to be in this way.
So now, it seemed, she intended to pretend to be Xuexiang, to deceive herself and others and muddle through this entire matter.
At that thought, Gu Fangchen's expression grew stranger still. He noticed that the "little maid" before him was currently dressed as a Daoist acolyte.
Yet her thin robe was in disarray, and beneath it, the faint outline of a white lotus-patterned undergarment could be seen.
Highly improper.
The last time, Xuexiang had painted a beauty mark between her brows, playing the role of a substitute, though the act had been cut short when the true person appeared.
And now... it had actually become real.
Gu Fangchen didn't think of himself as someone who let his "lower instincts" rule him, but the current situation was far too stimulating.
Who could possibly endure this?
The risk was enormous, of course. If the Grand Preceptor ever learned that he knew and still acted deliberately, no head of his would remain intact.
But if she chose to deceive herself, then why shouldn't he play along, willingly becoming the man she deceived?
Was that too much to ask?
After all, this was Xu Fu, the untouchable flower atop the highest peak, the one countless players had clamored to see given a romance route.
Even if she struck him to his knees a hundred times over, their passion for her would never fade.
Xu Fu suddenly noticed his movements stop. Her heart tightened, eyes sharpening, only to hear him speak.
"Little Xuexiang," Gu Fangchen said smoothly, "that picture book I showed you last time... have you practiced it yet?"
She froze, lifting her head to meet his burning, eager gaze.
Why did he seem... even more excited now?
Xu Fu had no idea what picture book he meant, but a single sweep of her divine sense through the maid's memories told her everything.
It was given by Ning Caiyong.
Indecent!
A princess of the royal family, teaching her maid how to climb into bed?
If it had been an unmarried lady, perhaps she could excuse it as ignorance. But this was a personal maid of Gu Fangchen's; how could she not know such things?
Xu Fu was furious, though her face remained composed. She bit her lip, forcing herself to mimic Xuexiang's timid tone.
"I... I haven't quite learned it yet."
Gu Fangchen cleared his throat, maintaining a calm and confident demeanor.
"No problem. Learning comes with practice. As they say, true knowledge is gained through experience."
Pervert!
Xu Fu sneered inwardly at the man's shamelessness.
She remembered how impatient he had been in front of her before, all hungry stares and restless hands. Now, after so much time had passed, traveling everywhere with this pretty maid, could he really have done nothing with her?
And he still claimed to "admire the Grand Preceptor deeply"?
But as she searched through Xuexiang's memories, Xu Fu was shocked.
In these past twenty days, he truly hadn't done anything!
Although he had been in danger for most of that time, there had been quiet days in the Sword Pavilion, and yet, he had spent them practicing martial arts or exploring the area, never laying a finger on his maid.
He had treated his personal maid like decoration!
Xu Fu couldn't help wondering, could it be that his talk of "admiration" wasn't just lust?
Before she could figure it out, Gu Fangchen took her small hand, one arm encircling her slender waist. He pulled her close, letting her settle upon his lap, his thigh supporting her weight.
So light...
Gu Fangchen gently squeezed the soft hand in his, both their bodies still flushed from the earlier chaos. A faint fragrance mixed with the sheen of sweat, it was, quite literally, fragrant sweat.
Truly the pampered grace of a palace-raised maid, her hands were softer than those of noble daughters.
Xu Fu, pressed close to his feverish body, felt her heartbeat quicken.
She tried to pull away, but he caught her wrist firmly and commanded in a low voice, leaving no room for resistance.
"Be good. Together, now."
"You..."
Xu Fu closed her eyes, not daring to look, forcing herself to believe it would be over soon.
For Peace under Heaven, she had no choice. She would endure.
It was fine. He didn't know it was really her.
But the darker the world behind her eyelids, the sharper every sensation became. She could seal off her divine sense, but not her imagination.
Their skin, pressed so close, grew hotter. Even their mingled breaths seemed ready to spark fire.
Her robe slipped from her shoulder.
Gu Fangchen released one of her hands, sliding it up her smooth back. He lowered his head, his lips brushing her pale neck, trailing kisses toward her ear.
She stiffened, instinctively resisting, until he suddenly parted his lips and bit gently at her ear, licking softly.
A muffled sound escaped her lips. Xu Fu's eyes flew open in shock, clarity rushing back.
What was she doing? This could not continue!
What kind of absurdity was this?
Since leaving the mountains, she had devoted herself entirely to the path of peace, pure, untouchable. And now, she was possessing another's body, letting him... do as he pleased, without even knowing it was her?
With sudden strength, she tried to push him away. But Gu Fangchen groaned softly, hugging her tighter, whispering against her ear:
"Grand Preceptor..."
...
Xu Fu shuddered violently, opening her eyes.
Before her was once again the tranquil Pillar of Silence, its water-mirror rippling faintly. Her reflection, face flushed, breath unsteady, looked back at her.
Those eyes, always as calm as still water, now held a trace of moisture, glimmering faintly with something dangerously soft.
She looked down at her delicate, spotless hands, bit her lip, and suddenly hardened her expression.
Reaching into the mirror's water, she scrubbed her hands once.
Then again.
And again.
Her face remained icy throughout, showing no sign of relief.
The most infuriating part of all...
What did that man mean by calling her that, at the very end?