Suddenly finding herself on horseback, Pei Ying was startled, her face paling with fright. She was seated sideways, a position that offered no sense of security, especially on the soft saddle of a horse not yet fitted with stirrups. The only thing she could cling to was the long arm wrapped tightly around her waist.
Pei Ying had no choice but to grip Huo Tingshan’s arm with all her strength, her fingertips turning white under the pressure. "General, slower, please slow down!"
The large black steed beneath them was of the finest breed from the northern lands, taller and stronger than any horse Pei Ying had ever seen. At full gallop, it was swift as lightning, making her feel like a kite in the wind—were it not for the iron-like arm around her waist, she would have been flung off by the rushing wind.
Huo Tingshan held her close, her delicate fragrance filling his senses. The curve of her brow pressed against his jaw, and as the horse raced on, her scent teased his nose, stirring an itch in his heart.
Lowering his head slightly, his lips brushed against the delicate shell of her ear. "Will my lady dare to leave without a word again?"
The repeated touch sent shivers down Pei Ying’s spine, but the horse showed no sign of slowing. "I won’t..." she managed.
"The wind is loud. What did you say, my lady? I couldn’t hear you. Say it again." Huo Tingshan murmured, his voice low.
Pei Ying was annoyed. He was so close—how could he not hear? He was clearly toying with her. She clenched her lips, refusing to answer. If he truly wanted her dead, he could have simply cut her down earlier. Why go through this charade?
A glint of amusement flashed in Huo Tingshan’s eyes. His lips, which had been teasing her ear, now found their way to the soft lobe, giving it a playful nip.
Pei Ying shuddered, her grip on his arm momentarily loosening as if burned. But the relentless wind forced her to hold on again.
She turned her head as much as she dared. "I won’t do it again."
"Won’t do what?" His lips returned to her ear.
Pei Ying gritted her teeth. "I won’t leave without saying goodbye..."
Behind them, Meng Ling'er watched in shock and fury as Pei Ying was whisked away. She called out for her mother repeatedly, but all she got was a mouthful of dust kicked up by the galloping horse.
Pointing at the fading silhouette, Meng Ling'er trembled with rage. "How dare that brute abduct a woman in broad daylight?! Such audacity!"
"Mind your words, young lady," Shui Su quickly cautioned, glancing at Chen Yuan and the others approaching on horseback. "Some things are better left unsaid."
Meng Ling'er seethed but nodded. "Fine. I’ll save my curses for my dreams."
Chen Yuan reined in beside them and dismounted. "Miss Meng, I’ll escort you back to the city."
"No need. I’ll walk," she snapped, turning away and pulling Shui Su along without another glance.
She had ridden out on a donkey cart, but the journey hadn’t been long. Walking back would take no more than an hour or two.
Xiong Mao and Qin Yang exchanged glances, both thinking the young lady had quite the temper.
But they couldn’t force her onto a horse. Some things only the general could get away with. Given how interested Huo Tingshan was in Pei Ying, it was likely she would become his favored concubine. Antagonizing Meng Ling'er now would be unwise.
"Xiong Mao, take a few men and follow the general. Qin Yang and I will escort Miss Meng," Chen Yuan said.
Xiong Mao nodded. "Keep a close eye on her. Don’t let her slip away again."
Chen Yuan’s expression remained blank. "No need for your input."
Xiong Mao smirked. "Just a friendly reminder, given your track record."
Chen Yuan replied coolly, "Save your concern for explaining your own failures to the general."
Xiong Mao choked, unable to retort, and rode off in a huff with three others.
---
After Pei Ying’s reluctant submission, the black horse slowed—though "slow" was relative. Compared to a donkey cart, it was still terrifyingly fast. Pei Ying clung to Huo Tingshan’s arm, praying they would reach the city gates soon.
"Don’t worry, my lady. I won’t let you fall," Huo Tingshan chuckled, releasing the reins to cover her hands with his own.
Pei Ying gasped. "General, hold the reins!"
Without stirrups or a proper saddle, how could he be so reckless?
Huo Tingshan squeezed her slender fingers. "Relax. Wuye is intelligent and has served me for years. He’s steady as a rock."
Pei Ying, recalling their earlier breakneck speed, doubted the horse’s "steadiness." "Please, just be careful," she pleaded, her voice trembling.
Huo Tingshan studied her face—her eyes glistening with unshed tears—and grinned. "So my lady is this timid? Or did you use up all your courage running away?"
Pei Ying’s heart skipped a beat. Was this matter still not over?
True to his master’s word, Wuye carried them smoothly back to the southern gate, where two carriages awaited.
Huo Tingshan dismounted first, then lifted Pei Ying down. Her legs were weak, her footing unsteady as if walking on clouds. Before she could protest, he swept her up again, heading for the carriage.
"General, I can walk," Pei Ying insisted.
Huo Tingshan looked down at her, his dark eyes unfathomable.
Pei Ying felt as if a beast lurked in those depths. She averted her gaze. "My daughter is still behind us. I’d like to wait for her."
Just then, Xiong Mao arrived with his men.
Having spent days investigating Pei Ying, Xiong Mao was burning with curiosity—both about the origins of her governance strategies and the legendary beauty Hao Wu had boasted of, claiming she outshone even Concubine Li.
Xiong Mao had dismissed Hao Wu’s words as exaggeration.
If Pei Ying was truly more stunning than the famously beautiful Concubine Li, why hadn’t she entered the palace? The imperial harem offered endless luxury.
Now, finally catching a glimpse of her, Xiong Mao’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.
The woman in the general’s arms had a face and neck as dark as his own sun-weathered skin, with several unsightly moles dotting her cheeks and the corner of her mouth. One glance was enough—Xiong Mao couldn’t bear to look further. Hao Wu’s claims were outright lies.
"Radiant as the full moon"?
What nonsense.
This plain-faced woman had nothing to recommend her beyond a curvaceous figure and glossy black hair. Compared to the beauties of the past, she was like mud to clouds. Why would the general favor such an unattractive woman?
Unless... unless he knew about the treasures she carried and was willing to endure her looks in exchange for inventions like the stirrups...
Xiong Mao's thoughts were in disarray, his broad face slightly contorted as he gazed at Huo Tingshan with renewed admiration.
But at this moment, neither Pei Ying nor Huo Tingshan had time to pay him any attention. When Pei Ying insisted on waiting for Meng Ling'er, Huo Tingshan merely replied, "Someone will bring her back," before sweeping Pei Ying into his arms once more and carrying her into the carriage.
The interior of the carriage was far more spacious than the donkey cart. Delicate silk curtains hung from its four corners, and light-colored drapes framed the windows. A small table stood in the center, flanked by cushioned seats, with a wooden cabinet placed to one side.
Once inside, Pei Ying immediately shrank into a corner, trying to put distance between herself and Huo Tingshan. Yet, to her dismay, he followed closely, trapping her in the cramped space.
Their robes tangled, their proximity overwhelming. His scent enveloped her in the confined space like an inescapable net.
Pei Ying's breath hitched, her watery eyes filled with fear. She sensed a change in Huo Tingshan—something unsettling.
When they first met, his gaze had been predatory, brimming with male desire. Later, she had bargained for her and her daughter's safety by offering the high-bridge saddle and stirrups as gifts. Accepting them, Huo Tingshan had transformed into a reasonable man, treating her and her daughter with respect, even providing maidservants to serve them lavish meals and sending guards to assist with the funeral arrangements for the Meng family.
Aside from the suspicion in the side chamber, he had seemed someone who could be reasoned with.
But now, as she met his narrowed dark eyes, her heart skipped a beat. The terror of being locked in the gaze of a predator overwhelmed her, freezing her blood and numbing her fingertips.
Huo Tingshan lifted a hand to her chin, his fingers tracing the delicate skin before turning her face slightly. His thumb came away smudged with black. With a faint, mocking smile, he remarked, "Madam, you’ve gathered quite a bit of dust outside. You ought to clean yourself properly."
A tea set rested on the small table. Huo Tingshan took a silk cloth, dampened it with tea, and moved to wipe her face.
"General, I can do it myself," Pei Ying said, turning her head away—only to freeze when a large hand settled on her waist, fingers resting dangerously close to the sash of her skirt, as if ready to tug it loose at any moment.
"My mood is not the best right now," Huo Tingshan said coolly. "Madam would do well to behave."
Pei Ying dared not move or protest further. Pressing her lips together, she allowed his rough fingers to slowly wipe away the soot from her face with the damp cloth.
Huo Tingshan took his time, meticulously cleaning her skin. As the layer of black charcoal powder vanished, the flawless complexion of a noblewoman emerged—radiant like freshly peeled eggshell, flushed faintly pink under the abrasion of his calloused touch.
Before him, the beauty of her face unfurled like a rare painting unveiled after centuries of concealment. The sight stirred something dark in his gaze—an intensity that made Pei Ying tremble.
She kept her lashes lowered, not daring to meet his eyes. It wasn’t just his closeness that unsettled her, but the return of that look—the same predatory hunger from their first encounter.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. They had an agreement.
Once he had finished cleaning her face, Huo Tingshan carelessly tossed the cloth aside and lifted the carriage curtain. "Xiong Mao," he called, "take the reins."
Xiong Mao was about to respond when his gaze inadvertently drifted past Huo Tingshan, deeper into the carriage.
There, he saw Pei Ying—her jade-like skin flushed, her lips like rouge, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. The sight was mesmerizing, her beauty a perfect blend of elegance and allure.
Xiong Mao was stunned.
Was that… Madam Pei?
Had she always been this breathtaking?
So the young constable Hao Wu hadn’t been lying—Pei Ying truly possessed an otherworldly grace. In all his years of traveling the land, he had never seen a woman who balanced voluptuous charm with refined dignity so flawlessly.
If this was a "tiger," then surely every man in the world would gladly offer himself as prey.
"Xiong Mao."
The general’s voice, though calm, sent a jolt through him. Xiong Mao quickly lowered his head and hurried to take the driver’s seat.
