Chapter 44

"Do you want to copy my handwriting?"

Though it was an ordinary question, Zhan Lingfeng's face suddenly flushed red. His heart pounded fiercely, as if it might leap out of his chest.

He told himself to stay calm, to absolutely remain calm, but he simply couldn't manage it.

A thin sheen of sweat broke out on his skin. Zhan Lingfeng raised his hand to tug at his collar, trying to cool off.

Perhaps he pulled too hard, for three buttons suddenly came undone, revealing a glimpse of his firm, muscular chest. As he breathed, the muscles rippled enticingly, exuding raw sensuality.

Gu Nanyan was no stranger to the male form. She had been to military camps, led troops into battle, and galloped across battlefields.

Although her status as the Imperial Princess meant that rugged soldiers wouldn't dare bare their chests before her, the rigors of war often led to moments of fatigue when Gu Nanyan might catch an unintended glimpse.

The muscles of battle-hardened soldiers and generals were knotted and powerful.

But Gu Nanyan found Zhan Lingfeng even more appealing.

Neither excessively bulky nor weak, he was just to her liking.

Gu Nanyan nodded in approval, then suddenly raised her right hand, using the end of her brush to flick open the remaining buttons of Zhan Lingfeng's collar.

Zhan Lingfeng was stunned by her sudden move, unable to react for several moments.

And so, one by one, Gu Nanyan undid all the remaining buttons...

It wasn't until he felt the cool air on his chest that Zhan Lingfeng snapped back to his senses, realizing what Gu Nanyan was doing.

This woman... this woman... how shameless!

Zhan Lingfeng gaped at her in disbelief. "You... you..."

"What's wrong?" Gu Nanyan asked, puzzled. Why was he more shy than a woman? Wasn't this era supposed to be more open-minded? Besides, the union of man and woman was a fundamental aspect of human relations.

In her previous life, she never had time for marriage. Now, in this life of peace and leisure, it was only natural to pursue such unions.

Seeing Zhan Lingfeng so nervous, Gu Nanyan thought he might be afraid and tried to reassure him: "Don't be scared, I'll be gentle."

Zhan Lingfeng's face darkened. He leapt up as if his behind was on fire, glaring at Gu Nanyan, struggling to form words.

Faced with this version of Gu Nanyan, he truly didn't know what to say.

Looking at Zhan Lingfeng's face, flushed red and black, Gu Nanyan found him not only interesting but also somewhat adorable. She put down her brush and beckoned to him, "Come here, let me give you a kiss."

Whoa—

Gu Nanyan didn't kiss for long, just a brief touch like a dragonfly skimming water, before releasing Zhan Lingfeng.

Zhan Lingfeng followed Gu Nanyan's movement, dazedly standing up and sitting in the chair before suddenly coming to his senses.

He instinctively looked up at Gu Nanyan.

Gu Nanyan noticed his gaze and, thinking he wanted more, reassured him: "It's not good to be too lustful during the day. If you want more, I'll give it to you tonight."

Who said I wanted more!

Zhan Lingfeng's face turned as red as a cooked shrimp, his eyes gleaming like autumn waters as he glared sideways at Gu Nanyan.

"Good boy," Gu Nanyan patted his head.

Beautiful men needed to be coddled, and Gu Nanyan had endless patience.

"Is there anything else? If not, I'm going to rest." It was already noon, and Gu Nanyan wanted to take a short nap.

Hearing this, Zhan Lingfeng suddenly remembered why he had come in the first place.

He had come to question Gu Nanyan about whether she practiced dark arts, not to... to...

Recalling the scenes from moments ago, Zhan Lingfeng's face reddened again, his whole body seeming to steam with heat.

After a long while, he finally composed himself.

Zhan Lingfeng controlled his emotions, forcing himself to be calm. "I wanted to ask you, how did you manage to change Hua Ying'an's attitude in just one day? Mother and Yiran are one thing, since you've known them for a while, but Hua Ying'an only met you for the first time yesterday."

As he spoke, Zhan Lingfeng's gaze was sharp, fixed intently on Gu Nanyan, not missing the slightest change in her expression, as if trying to see through her.

Gu Nanyan turned her head, glancing at Zhan Lingfeng, and asked in return, "Is that so difficult?"

Zhan Lingfeng frowned.

Seeing his reaction, Gu Nanyan smiled, "You want to know? I'll teach you. Actually, when you called to tell me Hua Ying'an was coming, I had Yiran help me investigate a bit, to get a general idea of what kind of person Hua Ying'an is."

"Why did you investigate her? Didn't I tell you to stay away?" Zhan Lingfeng asked.

Gu Nanyan's tone was light, but her words carried weight, "Stay away? And then wait for you to come rescue me? Wouldn't that be too tiring for you?

It was just a small matter, I could handle it."

Saying this, Gu Nanyan raised her hand to pat Zhan Lingfeng's face, "It's easy to change someone's perception of you. You just need to behave differently from what they expect, and they'll become curious, unable to resist investigating.

Once they start investigating, they'll reveal their weaknesses. You just need to grasp that tiny flaw to enter their heart."