Fang Xian, seeing Madam Yin's shocked and angry expression, had only intended to tease her, but his hand tightened involuntarily, and he unconsciously squeezed her.
"Hmph!"
Madam Yin grunted, raising her hand to push his hand away, her face flushing slightly.
"What are you doing?!"
Fang Xian panicked, his hand still frozen in mid-air, stammering:
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."
His eyes darted away, his fingertips still tinged with the warmth of the touch, and even his hand began to tremble slightly.
Madam Yin, seeing his flustered state and remembering how he had saved her earlier, swallowed the rebuke that was on the tip of her tongue. Ultimately, she didn't hold it against him, simply grabbing the long sword from the ground and turning to walk towards the city gate.
Fang Xian sneered inwardly. This was all an act, all for the sake of playing the field.
"Where are you going?"
"Back to deal with the sea monster." Madam Yin didn't stop walking.
"I'll go too."
Madam Yin ignored him and continued walking quickly.
Only when she reached the edge of the town and saw the sea monster's corpse lying on the ground, and the soldiers cleaning up the battlefield, did her anxiety finally subside.
She turned to Fang Xian, her tone softening.
"No matter what, I still have to give you a thank-you gift. I'll treat you to a meal."
Fang Xian raised an eyebrow and agreed.
"Okay."
As the two walked towards the town, soldiers and civilians surrounded Madam Yin as soon as they saw her.
"Madam Yin, are you alright? We were terrified when the sea monster knocked you away!"
"Thanks to your leadership, otherwise, who knows how many more people would have been injured!"
Madam Yin waved her hand and smiled, saying:
"It wasn't just my achievement; it was everyone's effort that allowed us to defeat the sea monster so quickly."
Fang Xian followed behind her, watching her surrounded by people, their eyes filled with respect, and his interest grew even stronger.
The fact that someone so revered was somehow somewhat "manipulated" by herself was quite amusing.
Along the way, people kept slipping eggs and vegetables into Madam Yin's hands, which she accepted with a smile, her thanks always gentle.
Reaching a courtyard, Madam Yin pushed open the door, and a little boy with two buns in his hair, wearing a red bib, immediately ran out—it was Nezha.
He threw himself into Madam Yin's arms, calling out in a clear voice.
"Mother! You're finally back!"
Madam Yin was already injured, and Nezha's sudden movement caused her to sway, almost falling backward.
Fang Xian reacted quickly, stepping forward and spreading his arms to catch Madam Yin's back.
Her body pressed against his chest, carrying a faint scent of sweat and herbs.
Madam Yin blushed and quickly said to Nezha...
"Nezha, come down quickly, don't make a fuss, Mother has guests."
She turned to Fang Xian and whispered, "Let go first."
Fang Xian deliberately tightened his grip, smiling, "It's alright, don't fall."
"I'm fine, let go."
Madam Yin's voice deepened, carrying a barely perceptible hint of panic.
Fang Xian finally released his grip, watching Nezha climb down from Madam Yin's arms and stand obediently to the side.
Madam Yin straightened her clothes and was about to go inside when she accidentally bumped her bottom on a wooden stool by the door.
The hard touch made her face flush even more. She quickly pretended not to notice and turned to Fang Xian, saying:
"Come in, I'll prepare your meal."
Fang Xian glanced at her flushed ears, a mischievous smile playing on his lips, and followed her inside.
A moment later, Madam Yin returned with several small dishes and a bowl of rice, placing them on the table.
"There's nothing special, just something to tide you over."
Fang Xian picked up his chopsticks but didn't touch them, instead looking at her.
"Aren't you going to eat? Come and eat with us."
Madam Yin hesitated for a moment, then sat down opposite him.
Fang Xian picked up a piece of green vegetable, chewing and nodding.
"Madam Yin, your cooking is truly excellent. I wonder if you have any wine at home?"
Madam Yin didn't ask further, getting up to fetch a jar of wine from the inner room, pouring a cup and pushing it towards him.
Fang Xian took a sip, his eyes lighting up.
"This wine is strong! It's been a long time since I've had such authentic wine."
He poured another cup for Madam Yin. "You should have some too. Wine can soothe muscles and improve blood circulation. You were injured earlier, so a little will help you recover."
Madam Yin thought it made sense, so she picked up the cup and took a sip.
Seeing this, Fang Xian took out a small jade bottle from his robes, poured out a cup of wine, and handed it to her.
"Try mine, it's even better than yours."
The aroma wafted out, and Madam Yin couldn't help but inhale it a few more times before taking the cup and tasting it.
It was mellow and sweet, with a slightly crisp aroma, indeed much better than the wine at home.
Her eyes lit up slightly: "What kind of wine is this? It tastes so good!"
"This wine is called 'Spirit Dew Brew.' It's brewed from many rare flowers and herbs, and its blood-activating and stasis-removing effects are ten times stronger than ordinary wine."
Fang Xian smiled and filled her cup again. "Drink some more, and maybe the blood stasis in your body will dissipate."
Madam Yin did indeed feel warm and comfortable after drinking it, and her wounds didn't hurt as much, so she drank two more cups.
Fang Xian looked at her flushed cheeks and said with a mischievous smile:
"Madam Yin, don't drink too much. This wine is strong and can easily make you drunk."
As soon as he finished speaking, Madam Yin felt a little dizzy. She leaned on the table to get up.
"I...I'm going to rest for a while, take a bath to relax."
After saying that, she walked unsteadily into the inner room, poured hot water into the bathtub, took off her clothes, and soaked in.
The warm water enveloped her body, and she comfortably closed her eyes, not noticing that the door had been blown open a crack by the wind.
A tall figure entered shortly after.
Madam Yin opened her eyes groggily, seeing only a blurry outline, and mistook him for Li Jing. Her voice softened.
"Husband? Why are you back?"
Fang Xian, standing at the door, raised an eyebrow. He knew the "Spirit Dew Brew" had a strong aftereffect; drinking too much could cause hallucinations.
He didn't point it out, continuing forward as she spoke, his voice deliberately low.
"I missed you, so I came back early."
Madam Yin, still dizzy, didn't notice anything amiss. She watched him approach and stammered,
"Husband, this bathtub is too small, not suitable for you to soak in..."
"It's alright, I can squeeze in."
Fang Xian said, reaching for his outer robe.
Madam Yin was already quite drunk, and when he pulled her like that, she instinctively fell into his arms, her cheek pressed against his warm chest, the faint scent of wine emanating from him lingering around her nose. It was completely different from the scent of Li Jing, yet it made her feel inexplicably at ease.
Fang Xian held her slender waist, his fingertips tracing her smooth back, feeling the warmth of her body in his arms, his smile deepening.
He looked down at Madam Yin's flushed earlobes, deliberately leaning close to her ear and whispering,
"My wife, the bath water's gotten cold, shall I add some more to warm it up?"
Madam Yin's ears burned from his breath, her head spinning even more, she only softly murmured "Mmm," nestling closer to him.
Fang Xian gazed at Madam Yin's lips, which smelled of wine, and leaned down to kiss them.
Madam Yin was startled at first, but the haze of the wine made her lower her guard, and she instinctively responded softly.
The faint scent of wine mingled with their breath, spreading between their lips and teeth, gentle yet burning.