Chapter 16: I Really Want to Dye You in My Colors

In a short while.

Under the cover of thin mist, Su Chen arrived at a serene palace, surrounded by an expanse of haze that left even someone as directionally competent as him utterly confused.

Where should he go next?

Where was this place?

At that moment, a faint song reached Su Chen’s ears, its source clearly the palace before him.

“Should I knock and ask?”

“After all, my senior sister is the Empress. There shouldn’t be anyone in the palace more troublesome than her, right?”

With that thought, Su Chen approached the door and knocked lightly.

Creak—

To his surprise, the door wasn’t fully closed and slowly swung open.

Inside, the room was filled with swirling mist, and at its center was a pool of water.

A young woman sat within, her jet-black hair cascading into the water like smooth seaweed, clearly well-maintained.

Her face was stunning, with narrow peach-blossom eyes and red lips slightly parted under a delicate nose.

Below her exquisite collarbone rose prominent curves, accentuating her slender waist.

As a newbie fresh from Body Tempering, Su Chen’s enhanced senses took in the entire scene with perfect clarity.

Even more exaggerated than his senior sister!

Of course, as a gentleman, Su Chen didn’t linger. He quickly turned away, apologizing.

“Sorry, I didn’t see anything!”

However.

As the singing abruptly stopped, Ying Wuyan was stunned.

I… was seen completely?

No, wait!

This place was protected by an illusion array. How did this boy get in?

A flash of killing intent crossed her eyes.

“How did you get here?!”

“Turn around!”

“I’m afraid I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Wouldn’t that mean you’d be seen again?”

“…”

Faced with Su Chen’s innocent counter-question, Ying Wuyan was momentarily speechless.

She’d actually forgotten about that.

After the initial chaos, Ying Wuyan quickly regained her composure.

She finally recalled the boy’s identity—wasn’t he the very person she intended to steal from the Empress?!

And now.

Before she could make her move, he’d already seen her entirely.

Wasn’t this like lifting a rock only to smash her own foot?

For some reason, Ying Wuyan felt a pang of frustration.

Just then, Su Chen spoke sincerely.

“Sister, I only meant to knock on the door. I didn’t intend to intrude. I suggest locking the door next time.”

Ying Wuyan’s irritation flared.

“So it’s my fault now?”

This was a forbidden area within the palace! Not even maids were allowed, let alone random intruders.

Who needed to lock the door to prevent peeping?

Who could’ve predicted Su Chen would stumble in here by mistake?

At this, Su Chen sighed softly.

“Half and half.”

“Life always has its unlucky moments. If not for this sudden mist, I wouldn’t have ended up here.”

“Mist?”

“Wait… so he didn’t follow the set path.”

Ying Wuyan’s eyes narrowed, her alluring face flickering with surprise.

Her illusion array, while not top-tier, was more than enough to confound a mere boy.

Yet Su Chen had somehow bypassed it to reach her bath.

In a way, they’d met, hadn’t they?

So the problem was still her fault?!

At this thought, Ying Wuyan grew even more unsettled, but then she saw Su Chen casually remove his outer robe.

Ying Wuyan asked warily,

“What are you doing?”

Su Chen replied matter-of-factly,

“Sister, you should put on some clothes first. It’d make talking easier, and it’s rude to keep my back turned.”

His sudden kindness froze Ying Wuyan’s expression.

She laughed self-deprecatingly.

“Hah, what a boring move!”

“Don’t men love seeing me without clothes?”

Su Chen muttered in defense,

“But half-hidden is more alluring, isn’t it?”

“???”

Now it was Ying Wuyan’s turn to be shocked.

Was he flirting with her?

Then, Ying Wuyan didn’t shy away. She rose slowly from the water, casually draping a robe over herself, leaving one shoulder bare.

As she moved, the robe fluttered, revealing long, lustrous legs that exuded charm.

“Turn around.”

“Why didn’t you run?”

Glancing at the older sister, now somehow more seductive with clothes, Su Chen took a deep breath and answered candidly.

“When you’re wrong, you own up to it—especially if it’s an accident.”

“Running would make me look guilty.”

Hearing this, Ying Wuyan couldn’t help but find it amusing.

What an interesting boy!

It was hard to tell if he was genuinely innocent or cunningly pretending.

No wonder Ying Qingge was smitten. Interesting, truly interesting!

As her body trembled slightly with laughter, her ample chest jiggled, catching even Su Chen’s seasoned eyes for a moment.

“Like what you see?”

“From the side, a ridge; from the front, a peak—different from every angle.”

“Sister, you’re no ordinary woman!”

“…”

Faced with Su Chen’s spontaneous verse, Ying Wuyan, who had planned to tease him, was struck speechless.

She wasn’t ignorant of poetry.

The verse sounded flirtatious, but its imagery was so lofty?

Incredible!

The first time she’d heard someone flirt with such literary flair.

A rogue isn’t scary, but a cultured one is?

What was even more remarkable was Su Chen’s gaze. From start to finish, it held no trace of lust, only sincere admiration.

This was unlike nearly every man she’d met.

Was it an act?

Could this be a pretense?

Ying Wuyan stared intently at Su Chen, only now realizing… his appearance, from a male perspective, was also breathtaking.

Calling him stunningly handsome wasn’t an exaggeration!

Combined with his refined, gentlemanly demeanor… for a moment, Ying Wuyan was lost in thought.

Why did she feel guilty targeting him?

“Sister, what are you thinking?”

Su Chen’s voice snapped her out of her daze. She shook her head.

“Nothing.”

“Do you know the way out, Sister?”

“Oh, turn right at the door…”

Some time later, after Su Chen had long gone, Ying Wuyan came to her senses.

Why did I just let him go like that?!

Frustrated, Ying Wuyan walked barefoot to a side hall, where maids were waiting to dry her and dress her in fresh clothes.

“Your Ladyship, what should we do with this robe?” a maid asked, holding the discarded garment.

Ying Wuyan looked at the pristine white robe, much like Su Chen’s demeanor.

Recalling his harmless expression, she felt as if her usually dark and cunning heart had been cleansed.

Could such a pure person exist in this world?

Why should Ying Qingge get such a perfect lover!

It made her… so want to dye him in her own colors!