Ruan Ning’s bathroom in the Bian Xiang Palace was adorned with coral and tortoiseshell, featuring pearl curtains that created a dreamlike atmosphere. Hidden behind the curtains, Ruan Ning waited for Chu Yuanquan to undress. She could vaguely see him crossing into the pool wrapped in a cloth towel. Despite the obscured view, she discerned his tall physique, almost perfect except for the many scars.
Though afraid of him, her curiosity about the scars compelled her to peek.
Suddenly, Chu Yuan said, “Come and help me bathe.”
Ruan Ning lowered her head and moved closer, glancing at the pool as she passed. The cloth towel floated on the water’s surface, obscuring her view below.
She carefully removed his jade hairpin and crown, allowing his long, coarse, black hair to cascade down. Ruan Ning placed a cloth towel behind his neck and let him lean against the pool’s edge. Using a water scoop, she wet his hair, which quickly softened and lay obediently in her hand.
Across his broad shoulders, she could see his well-defined abdominal muscles—exactly six. Ruan Ning carefully moved his hair to the left, avoiding the wound on his shoulder, then lathered soap to gently wash his hair. Her hands were busy, but her eyes were fixed on his abs.
It was said that well-developed abs feel like steel when poked. She wondered if Chu Yuan was the same. He would probably let her help him bathe, or maybe she could take the opportunity to feel if they were hard.
Chu Yuan lay with his eyes closed, his sense of touch heightened. He felt her soft fingers caressing his scalp and hair. Her strength wasn’t great, and her technique lacked precision, making it less effective than a royal physician’s massage. Yet, every movement brought him calm—an experience rarely found in his life.
Bringing her back was indeed the right decision. Whenever she was around, his irritable mood could find tranquility.
Inhaling her subtle fragrance, Chu Yuan’s thoughts emptied, and he suddenly wanted to speak. “Bian Xiang Palace was my mother’s residence before her marriage,” he said softly.
Ruan Ning understood why the decor looked so girlish—it was where Princess Jinyuan had lived before her marriage.
