The moment their long-separated bodies pressed close, a jolt of electricity surged through them.

A bright, golden serpent of lightning suddenly streaked across the early summer night sky, followed immediately by a deafening roar of thunder.

The heavens seemed to tear open as the summer night’s rain poured down without a word of warning.

Once the bed curtains were drawn, the small world within them instantly grew damp and sticky.

At first, Li Yun was rough. Whether it was because of the man who had suddenly appeared by Ming Lingyi’s side, or because of all the years they had missed, he found it hard to control his strength the moment his large hand touched the slender waist of the woman in his arms.

But at some point, his touch softened considerably.

As if caressing a priceless treasure, he gently moved his hand from Ming Lingyi’s slender waist to her face.

"Yuan Niang..."

Li Yun’s voice was hoarse as he murmured softly in Ming Lingyi’s ear.

It was like a long sigh, carrying five years of regret and a fleeting moment of fulfillment.

Heavy, yet also filled with a seeming joy.

Ming Lingyi was in no better state.

She was too familiar with Li Yun’s scent, just as she was with his body.

In his familiar embrace, as their breaths mingled, whatever resentment and bitterness she held melted away, and she couldn’t help but accept the man before her.

Their knees touched, and the soft rustle of fabric became exceptionally distinct in the quiet.

It was an accompaniment to their panting breaths.

Li Yun had already taken her pale, delicate earlobe—the one closest to him—into his mouth. One hand secured the nape of Ming Lingyi’s neck as his lips slowly traveled, finally covering the red lips that had given him no peace for days.

Their breaths intertwined.

Ming Lingyi had meant to turn her head away. ’She had no desire to be this intimate with Li Yun.’

’Once had been more than enough.’

Sex could be an act of mutual need, but to her, a kiss held an entirely different significance.

But Li Yun was a step ahead. The moment their lips met, the same tremor from before swept through her once more.

Ming Lingyi felt Li Yun’s large hand, which had been on the back of her neck, slide to her throat. The pressure there—even though it wasn’t a choke, merely a caress—was enough to make her head spin.

She felt as if a hand had seized her heart, her very being overrun by the man’s presence. It was incessant. Though Li Yun’s movements were domineering, this presence was paradoxically gentle, like a soft spring rain. It silently enveloped her, inch by inch, forcing every part of her to become saturated with his scent.

Ming Lingyi’s eyes were half-open. She could feel Li Yun’s deep gaze fixed on her, the raw possessiveness in his look so thick it seemed about to condense and drip from his eyes.

A heartbeat pounded in Ming Lingyi’s ears like a drum, but she couldn’t tell if it was his or her own.

Outside, the rain fell with a muffled patter, and the air grew thick with humidity.

The earthy scent of the soil was drawn out by the night rain, diffusing through the air.

Ming Lingyi didn’t know when she had fallen asleep. When she next awoke, her body felt fresh and clean, completely free of the dampness from the summer storm and the stickiness from the humidity.

’It felt like a dream.’

But the moment she sat up in bed, Ming Lingyi couldn’t help but hiss.

The sudden soreness that shot through her body was a clear reminder that last night had been no mere erotic dream.

She dressed, got out of bed, and saw a slip of paper held down by the teapot on the table.

The handwriting was familiar—wild and flamboyant, with powerful, vigorous strokes.

"Wait for me tonight."

Ming Lingyi stared at the four words, the corner of her mouth twitching. Then, she casually crumpled up the note—a sample of the Imperial Brush that countless people would kill for—and tossed it into the incense burner, where it quickly turned to ash.

’Wait for him? Why should I?’

’She’d had her fill last night. What did she need a man for tonight?’

As for Li Yun, he could go and get lost.

Ming Lingyi rubbed her shoulders, still feeling a bit irritated.

’She was looking for pleasure, not making trouble for herself.’

But for some insane reason, Li Yun had insisted she wrap her arms around his neck last night.

After holding them up all night, her arms and shoulders were unbearably sore.

Pushing the door open, Ming Lingyi stepped outside and saw Shi Mingyue sweeping the courtyard.

Shi Mingyue heard the sound, stopped her work, and turned. "Miss, the Crown Prince has left for the academy. Before he went, he came to the rear courtyard to check several times. He left a message saying he would be back tonight."

Shi Mingyue spoke in a formal, measured tone. She wasn’t curious why a personage like the Crown Prince was so intimate with her mistress; she was simply relaying the message as ordered.

Ming Lingyi nodded to show she had heard.

After breakfast, Ming Lingyi saw Xiao Chun burst in from outside.

She hadn’t seen the plump young maid since waking up and had no idea where she’d gone.

Before Ming Lingyi could ask, Xiao Chun’s eyes lit up upon seeing her, and she ran right over.

"Miss!" Xiao Chun’s voice was filled with excitement. "Wangxian Building is surrounded by people!"

Xiao Chun and Little Stone had rushed out first thing in the morning to gather news.

With the "inside tip" from the Crown Prince, they knew that Young Master Xu, whose poem hadn’t been chosen at Wangxian Building last night, certainly wouldn’t let the matter drop.

It was only because of the Crown Prince that Xu Qian’s men hadn’t been able to search Wangxian Building yesterday. But how could an arrogant young master like him—one who would argue heatedly with his own tutors at the Imperial College—give up so easily over a simple restaurant?

"That young master from the Xu Family really found the poetry judge from Wangxian Building! And when he found out the guy was just a common Scholar with no real talent, he started raising a ruckus and is now threatening to tear Wangxian Building down! It’s a huge scene out there!" Xiao Chun said.

It wasn’t even noon yet. The common folk were already at their jobs, and even children like Li Yan were in their classrooms, so there weren’t many people out and about.

This Young Master of the Xu Family was no ordinary person. He was particularly obsessive when it came to the matter of his "literary talent." He would even skip his classes to "seek justice" for himself.

Just because Xu Qian had failed to drag the judge out of Wangxian Building for a face-to-face confrontation the previous night didn’t mean he had taken no action.

He had ordered his men to investigate through the night to find the judge hired by Wangxian Building. As soon as he received the news this morning, he didn’t even bother going to the Imperial College, instead leading his men to storm Wangxian Building directly.

Listening to the intelligence Xiao Chun had gathered, Ming Lingyi couldn’t help but let out a "tsk."

She felt that the flamboyant young master had been dealt a good hand but was only realizing twenty or thirty percent of its potential.

’Wangxian Building has hardly any customers at this hour. Without an audience, what kind of "justice" could he possibly get?’

Soon enough, however, Ming Lingyi would learn that she had underestimated the young master’s determination.