A message came from Baal.
[The Shield Squad has already set out. They will take over the villa's perimeter security after nine tomorrow morning.]
[Once this mess is over, I'm going back to launch a mosquito extermination campaign.]
Jiang Lijin stared at the two dry lines on the screen and couldn't help letting out a laugh.
This straightforward guy was jealous as clearly as day, without an ounce of subtlety.
The Shield Squad was the private armed force granted to her by the Federal Military, comprising A-grade males and above, all elites, and also Baal's personally trained loyalists.
The equipment, logistics, and even the hefty annual allowances for this team were all footed by the Federation, but the command authority rested solely in Jiang Lijin's hands.
Her fingertips tapped a reply on the virtual keyboard: 【Commander Baal, so mighty—even mosquitoes fall under your jurisdiction now?】
The reply came instantly: 【Yes. Anything that gets close to you falls under my jurisdiction.】
Jiang Lijin shook her head with a smile, shut down the optical computer, and walked into the bathroom.
Warm water sprayed from the showerhead, cascading down her back, washing away the fatigue accumulated throughout the day.
After her shower, she slipped on a silk robe, loosely tied at the waist with a belt.
The moment she stepped out of the bathroom, a knock came at the door.
Jiang Lijin's first thought was Tinia—that kid was clingy.
The memory of being thoroughly worn out by that golden fox the night before was still fresh, her lower back still aching.
She walked over, placed her hand on the doorknob, and mentally calculated the best angle to kick him at the moment the door opened.
When she opened the door, it was Chiron standing outside.
He had changed into a dark gray silk pajama set, the collar slightly open, revealing a sliver of pale collarbone. His black hair fell softly across his forehead, his gray eyes meeting hers straight on, holding a small metal round box in his hand.
Jiang Lijin silently retracted her leg that had been poised to strike.
"Something up?"
Chiron didn't answer. His gaze lingered on her open collar before shifting to her face.
Jiang Lijin stepped back half a pace, letting him in.
The door clicked shut behind him, the room's excellent soundproofing instantly cutting off all outside noise.
Chiron walked over to the single sofa in the small living room and sat down, his long legs crossing naturally. He unscrewed the metal round box, releasing a faint herbal fragrance.
"This is a special ointment from Central Hospital, specifically for... bruising."
He looked up at her, his tone gentle, his smile warm, but carrying a steadiness that didn't invite refusal.
Jiang Lijin stood still, tugging at her collar. "No need. They'll fade on their own in a couple of days."
Chiron let out a soft sigh, then directly reached out and grasped her wrist, pulling her gently but firmly toward him.
Jiang Lijin was already sore and weak from Tinia's antics the night before. Caught off balance by his pull, she let out a startled gasp and landed squarely in his lap.
She froze for a second, instinctively about to struggle free.
"Don't move." Chiron's arm had already encircled her waist securely, the heat radiating through the thin silk, making her flinch.
His face still wore that restrained, ascetic expression, as if holding her on his lap was purely for applying medicine.
"Tinia was too rough. The blood is pooling—if I don't rub it in, it'll hurt tomorrow."
His reasoning left no room for argument.
Jiang Lijin stiffened for a moment but ultimately stopped struggling.
Chiron dipped his fingertip into the translucent ointment and dabbed it onto the red marks on her collarbone. Bowing his head, he gently massaged it in, his fingertip grazing her sensitive skin, sending shivers through her body.
"Rowan is female," Chiron said.
Jiang Lijin had no intention of hiding it from him. She nodded. "You figured that out."
"The mainframe data can't be falsified." Chiron's finger traced small circles near her collarbone. "The old emperor has classified the third prince's genetic data as the highest secret, not even accessible to the Academy of Sciences."
He paused.
"This kind of conspicuous protection is itself the answer. Besides, a six-year-old male prince wouldn't need a personal maid watching him twenty-four hours a day." Chiron added, "According to royal protocol, male children live independently from the age of five. No matter how well the old emperor hides it, the logical holes in behavior can't be patched."
Jiang Lijin nodded but didn't reply.
"Do you want to become empress?" he suddenly asked.
Jiang Lijin looked at his face, so close to hers, and smiled, deliberately teasing him.
"What if I do? Would you kill Rowan for me? That's treason—not just for you, but your entire family would be implicated."
Chiron didn't respond. His hands kept moving, and under the ointment, the marks and bruises of various depths were visibly fading, her skin returning to its fair state.
He worked intently, his breath falling into the hollow of her neck, tickling slightly.
Once the ointment was applied, Chiron took a tissue from the side, wiped his fingers unhurriedly, and then looked up at her.
"You wouldn't want to kill her," he said, his eyes fixed on her. "She's innocent and harmless. You're not that kind of person."
Jiang Lijin stared back. "And if I insisted?"
Chiron smiled, the corners of his eyes curving into a beautiful arch, softening his usual cool demeanor.
"That's a paradox, Lijin." He said her name. "I wouldn't love a female who kills without cause."
He paused, his smile fading.
"But if she really gets in your way, and you decide to make a move, then I will."
He would be the blade in her hand, to bear the blood that could never be washed clean.
Jiang Lijin fell silent, a faint tremor stirring somewhere in her chest.
Chiron lifted her easily and carried her to the bed inside the room, gently setting her down on the edge.
"Get some rest early." He stood up, smoothed the creases on his pajamas, and prepared to leave.
Jiang Lijin watched his back, then reached out and grabbed his wrist. She didn't say a word, but the intent to keep him there was clear.
Chiron stopped almost immediately.
He turned around, his gray eyes darkening. All the jealousy and longing he had been forcibly suppressing surged to the surface in that instant.
He took her hand in his, leaned down slightly, and with his other hand cupping the back of her head, kissed her directly.
He kissed her deeply and insistently, his heavy breath warm against her cheek, each inhale carrying searing heat. In this way, he was erasing the traces left by another, imprinting only his own scent.
Jiang Lijin, caught off guard by the kiss, felt her breathing instantly fall out of rhythm.
Her hands gripped the fabric of his chest, but she didn't push him away.
Only when she was nearly out of breath, her chest tightening from the lack of oxygen, did Chiron reluctantly pull back a fraction.
His forehead pressed against hers.
His breathing was heavy, his voice rough and strained with intense restraint. "Sleep."
He knew she was exhausted.
So instead, he simply pulled back the covers and lay down beside her, sliding an arm around her waist—loose but secure. His palm rested on her warm skin beneath the silk, his thumb absently stroking the dip of her waist before stilling.
The night grew deep.
The curtains hadn't been drawn fully, and moonlight slanted in, spilling across the floor.
Time passed in silence.
From outside the hallway came very faint footsteps, stopping at the door. The doorknob twisted twice but didn't turn; it was locked.
"Sister..." came Tinia’s voice from outside the door, barely above a whisper, laced with pitiful pleading and hesitation.
"Are you asleep? I’m scared to be alone..."
Jiang Lijin hadn’t fallen asleep yet. Hearing his voice, she turned over, closed her eyes, and decided to play dead.
That kid was a master at playing the victim; if she so much as acknowledged him, he’d find a way to worm his way in.
Behind her, Chiron stirred.
He didn’t sit up, barely even changed his position, but raised his voice just slightly and replied in a steady, lazy tone through the door with two words.
"Asleep."
Silence fell outside for a full three seconds.
In that three-second pause, Jiang Lijin could almost picture the expression on Tinia’s face: shock first, then his eyes going wide, and finally, blazing fury.
Sure enough. What followed was a string of barely suppressed, seething breaths: "Chiron—"
Tinia’s voice came through the door, teeth gritted, the volume kept just loud enough to be heard but not enough to wake Jiang Lijin.
"You just wait!"
Heavy footsteps stomped away, crackling with rage.
In the darkness, Jiang Lijin opened her eyes. Catching the moonlight filtering through the window, she turned her head to glance at the man behind her.
Sensing the movement, Chiron tilted his head to look back at her.
The moonlight traced the outline of half his face, and the corner of his mouth curved in a distinctly sly grin.
This man, she thought—cut him open, and he’d be black-hearted all the way.
Jiang Lijin shook her head in exasperation, turned back, and nestled into a more comfortable position in Chiron’s arms, closing her eyes again.
The arm behind her tightened imperceptibly, pulling her whole body closer into his embrace, as if silently staking a claim.
