"Bang."
The door slammed shut, the sound startling Pei Ying so violently that she trembled uncontrollably.
The last rays of the setting sun seemed to vanish in that instant.
Pei Ying opened her mouth, but belatedly realized that when terror reached its peak, words failed her. As the man approached step by step, she couldn’t shake the feeling that what walked toward her was not a man, but a beast baring its fangs, ready to devour her.
Pei Ying shivered even harder. She dug her nails into her palm, forcing herself to stay calm. "Sir, I don’t know what lies Hao Wu has told you, but my daughter and I were abducted by him—we came here against our will. Sir, I have a husband, and we are deeply devoted to each other. I have no desire to engage in such acts. I beg you, show us mercy and let us return home..."
The woman’s voice was naturally soft and melodious, gentle and pleasant to the ear. Now, it trembled faintly—perhaps she didn’t notice it herself, but that quivering tone only made her words all the more tantalizing.
Huo Tingshan didn’t stop. He strode forward until he stood right before Pei Ying.
He remained towering over her as she sat slumped on the floor, the height difference between them only amplifying her vulnerability. She tilted her slender, pale neck to look up at him, while his gaze swept over her panic-stricken expression and the alluring expanse of skin exposed below her throat.
"You have a husband?" His voice was eerily calm.
Seeing that he was listening, Pei Ying hurriedly nodded. "Yes. My husband serves as an official in the county. He once had a dispute with Hao Wu, which is why that wretch orchestrated this absurd farce."
She deliberately mentioned her husband’s official status, hoping that as the wife of a government official, the man before her would think twice before acting.
But Huo Tingshan’s eyes darkened further. A low chuckle escaped him. "What is your surname, madam?"
Pei Ying hesitated briefly before answering truthfully, "It’s Pei."
No sooner had she spoken than the man crouched down, bringing himself to her eye level. Only then did she finally get a clear look at his face.
His features were well-defined, his bone structure strong, and his deep-set, narrow eyes—framed by faint crow’s feet—were strikingly intense. Though undeniably handsome, his imposing aura overshadowed his looks, making ordinary people shrink from meeting his gaze.
"Madam Pei." His voice was deep and rough, like wind-scoured stone—as unyielding as the man himself.
He was too close. The distance between them was unbearable. She caught the faint scent of alcohol mingled with leather and dust, as if she’d been thrust onto a battlefield.
Pei Ying instinctively tried to retreat, but her back pressed against the cold wooden frame of the bed behind her—there was nowhere left to go.
"Sir, could you please— Ah!"
Before she could finish, an arm clamped around her slender waist. The world spun, and suddenly, her back wasn’t pressed against hard wood anymore, but against the plush softness of embroidered quilts.
The man who had been a step away was now right above her. The faint scent of alcohol grew stronger in the enclosed space of the bed curtains, heady and intoxicating.
The large hand that had hauled her onto the bed withdrew, but its heat lingered. Even through her clothes, the skin beneath burned as if scalded, trembling uncontrollably. When Huo Tingshan leaned closer, Pei Ying hastily pressed her palms against his chest. "Sir, I have a husband!"
"Beichuan County suffered heavy casualties from the bandit raids. Only three county officials remain now." Huo Tingshan’s gaze roamed over her face, lingering first on her delicate, refined brows, then drifting lower—to her naturally rosy lips, and further down.
The collar of her ruqun was cut wider than usual, revealing a tantalizing expanse of snow-white skin. The thin ribbon of her undergarment peeked out from the neckline, looping around her slender neck.
At first, Pei Ying didn’t understand. What did it matter if only three officials remained? Couldn’t her husband be among them?
But then she remembered Hao Wu—he had arrived with two other constables. Hao Wu plus those two made exactly three.
He must have met all three!
She had just claimed her husband was a county official, but now that he’d seen the only surviving officials, he surely knew her husband had perished.
The realization made her tremble even harder.
She had misspoken.
Huo Tingshan chuckled darkly. The hand that had been braced beside her head lifted, his fingers hooking under the thin ribbon resting against her collarbone. He toyed with it idly, his touch never quite grazing her skin—yet Pei Ying froze like a kitten seized by the scruff, not daring to move an inch.
"Your husband gave his life for Beichuan County. His sacrifice is worthy of admiration. A widow of such a heroic man should not be left uncared for." Huo Tingshan’s voice was low, deliberate. "Since my troops have already rid this place of the bandit scourge, I might as well see my kindness through to the end. How about I provide you with a new home, Madam Pei?"
Pei Ying’s eyes widened in disbelief.
When Huo Tingshan had entered the room, she’d suspected he was the Governor of Youzhou and the General that Hao Wu had spoken of. A man of such power and status ought to have some dignity—how could he be this shameless?
"N-no, I don’t—" She shook her head frantically. "I refuse."
"Madam, why deny what you clearly desire?" Huo Tingshan smirked. The finger teasing her ribbon withdrew, letting it settle back against her skin—but in its place came his hand.
A soldier forged in the crucible of war bore little resemblance to the refined scholars of court. Huo Tingshan’s palms were calloused, rough as gravel, unbearably abrasive against her soft skin.
To Pei Ying, it felt like scalding-hot sand had been poured over her neck—coarse, searing, impossible to endure. She longed to shove him away.
While she squirmed in discomfort, Huo Tingshan seemed to relish the sensation. The skin beneath his palm was smooth as jade, warm and silken. His eyes darkened with satisfaction, and just as his hand began to slide lower, two much smaller hands clamped around his wrist.
"It was those constables—they drugged me! I never wanted this. Sir—no, General. You are wise and benevolent, a protector of the people. Surely you were misled by those petty officials. You couldn’t possibly intend to force yourself upon a widow..." Pei Ying stammered, desperately trying to flatter him.
The wrist she held was far thicker than an ordinary man’s. Whether from the alcohol or his own formidable vitality, it radiated heat like a beast’s paw. She didn’t dare let go, nor did she dare tighten her grip.
Huo Tingshan studied the woman before him. "Madam—"
Just those two words made her visibly flinch again. She stared up at him, her cheeks flushed, lips parted, eyes dark as ink—like a drenched sparrow huddled in a corner of its nest, shivering pitifully.
"You’ve misunderstood one thing." With a slight twist of his arm, he broke free of her grasp and instead seized both of her wrists in one hand.
A woman’s wrists were so much slimmer than his. Huo Tingshan held them effortlessly, his thumb pressing firmly against the delicate skin of her inner wrist, feeling the frantic pulse beneath. "I’ve never claimed to be some noble, principled gentleman. If I want you, why shouldn’t I take you?"
From the moment he first coveted the reins of power, he had never been a man of noble virtue. His rebellion for the people was, on one hand, for their peace and prosperity, for an era of great harmony—yet on the other, was it not also driven by his own selfish desires?
He sought to place all the trappings of power—gold and treasures, fine carriages and beautiful women—within easy reach.
Pei Ying’s breath hitched. This man not only refused the lofty praise but went a step further, tearing off the veil of pretense.
Her wrists were seized, the rough friction sending a scorching numbness radiating from the tender skin on the inside, spreading like oil poured into a searing pan, igniting a wave of heat that left Pei Ying trembling in alarm.
A soft moan escaped her lips before she hastily bit them shut.
The corner of Huo Tingshan’s mouth curled deeper. "Life is short, Madam. One ought to indulge in pleasure while one can."
The man loomed over her, the scent of liquor in the silk canopy thickening like a boiling mist. A faint sting pricked the side of her neck—a sensation not unfamiliar. Pei Ying knew it was the scrape of his unshaven stubble. Once, it might have made her flush with bashful exasperation, but now, it only filled her with dread.
Reasoning with him was futile, so Pei Ying abandoned words and mustered all her strength to struggle. But Huo Tingshan, who could effortlessly draw a six-stone bow and pierce seven layers of armor with a single arrow, was not one to be shaken off so easily. Her wrists, feebly shielding her body, were wrenched above her head and pinned to the bed. Stripped of their defense, every sensation grew sharper, and Pei Ying’s heart pounded at the ravenous hunger in his touch.
The door shut, plunging the room into a suffocating gloom. The thick haze of alcohol in the air made it hard to breathe, and just as Pei Ying felt herself drowning, an image flashed through her mind—
Like a thunderclap splitting the heavens, a sliver of light pierced the murky darkness.
"General, hear me out!" Pei Ying pleaded.
But Huo Tingshan paid no heed, savoring the unexpected delicacy that suited his tastes all too well.
Desperation edged her voice. "General, I have a method to double the combat strength of your cavalry—to make each soldier fight like two!"
The wind outside stilled. Inside the tent, the burly man feasting upon her froze.
A moment passed. The sky darkened further, and no lamps were lit in the room. Huo Tingshan lifted his head, his expressionless face half-shrouded in shadow. His eyes, though still dark with desire, now held a piercing scrutiny, cold and calculating.
"Madam, do you understand what you’re saying?" His voice was low and rough.
Relief washed over Pei Ying at his response. If he was listening, there was hope. "I know exactly what I’m saying. Every word is true. If you spare me and my daughter, I will give you this strategy at once."
Huo Tingshan narrowed his eyes. "Are you bargaining with me, Madam?"
Pei Ying mustered her courage to meet his gaze, but a single glance was enough to make her flinch away. "It is a bargain. The world is full of beauties, and countless women would gladly serve you. Trading two insignificant women for a formidable cavalry is no loss, General. What do you think?"
"Madam should know that stalling tactics only buy time," Huo Tingshan murmured, his gaze inscrutable.
Pei Ying sensed his interest and pressed her advantage. "This is no trick. Grant me your word and some paper and ink, and I will present this plan to you immediately."
Huo Tingshan studied her for a long moment. Pei Ying felt his gaze roam over her—a mix of hunger and appraisal—but strangely, her fear had dulled.
The man rose from the bed, his robes disheveled, and strode out, barking an order to the maids waiting outside.
Pei Ying scrambled up, hastily adjusting her clothing, but the intricate ties of ancient garments left her fumbling, unsure which ribbon went where.
Before she could sort herself out, Huo Tingshan returned, sweeping her up into his arms without ceremony.
Pei Ying gasped, instinctively looping her arms around his neck before stiffening and pulling away.
A low chuckle rumbled in his chest as he carried her to a Huanghuali dressing table, now set with paper and ink.
Only one chair stood before the ornate mirror. Huo Tingshan sat, settling Pei Ying onto his lap, his left arm encircling her slender waist while his right hand ground ink. "Madam," he said, voice smooth as silk, "proceed."
