Spring arrives and the land smiles

Qingyan was very satisfied with Luo Qing's efficiency. After lunch, someone delivered the samples she needed. Qingyan smelled and tasted them, and they were exactly as described. It seemed that Luo Qing was also a lover of drinks, as she understood her description so thoroughly.

After tinkering in the room all afternoon, Qingyan finally finished preparing the props for five days later. She considered herself quite talented at bartending; even after a thousand years, the techniques she learned in that era were still very useful. Looking at the glasses of rich and fragrant liquor on the table, Qingyan narrowed her eyes with pride and smiled happily: "The thousand taels of silver are up to you."

Qingyan rubbed her slightly sore arms and stretched her back. Seeing that it was still early outside the window, her curiosity drove her to continue exploring where the greenhouse effect in this lotus garden came from.

Walking slowly along the edge of the lotus pond, I indeed discovered a hidden water inlet in a secluded spot, a pipe-like structure leading directly down into the pond. Looking up along the pipe, I saw a small hill, presumably the water came from a mountain spring. So, relying on the tree-climbing skills I had honed as a child, I steadily made my way up the hill.

To Qingyan's surprise, the other end of the pipe was a hot spring pool, with boiling water of high temperature gushing out of the spring, filling the surrounding air with heat and making it exceptionally comfortable.

It would be impossible to create such a large greenhouse with just this one spring; there must be other things. So, Qingyan lifted her skirt, glanced at the hibiscus silk embroidered shoes on her feet, and carefully walked forward until she reached an open space.

Qingyan observed carefully and saw a circular low rock wall with hundreds of springs of various sizes scattered on it. The pools below the springs were naturally divided into several sections by the rocks. The largest pool was about one or two hundred square meters, and the smallest was more than ten square meters. Qingyan had never seen such a natural hot spring group before and was overjoyed. No wonder Quhe Garden was so warm in the dead of winter. It was surrounded by hot springs, so it was impossible for it not to be warm.

This is a natural bathing paradise. Wouldn't it be a shame not to try it out? Qingyan looked around. Night was gradually falling, and the huge evergreen trees around the pools were perfectly concealed by the pleasant microclimate.

"No one should come, right? She was caught stealing lotus pods by Luo Qing today, and she's still shaken. Hopefully, she'll be lucky this time." Finding a secluded rock pool, Qingyan took off her shoes and socks, lightly touching the water with her toes to test the temperature. Perfect, a comfortable 42 degrees Celsius—hot but not harsh on the skin. She then removed her already simple clothing, cautiously looking around. Finding nothing amiss, she slowly slid into the pool.

Even as a princess, she rarely had the opportunity to enjoy such a natural hot spring spa, because the area where the palace was located was not a place known for its hot springs, and even if there were any, they wouldn't be as grand as this one. Unexpectedly, Manager Luo of Hua Man Lou, who seemed so detached and otherworldly, actually had a rather good business sense; Qing Yan couldn't help but admire his discerning eye.

She chose a smooth, round stone and lay down on it, closing her eyes in blissful contentment. The spring water gently caressed her skin, bringing a smooth, silky touch, like being stroked by a baby's tiny hand—delicate and gentle. The surrounding area was lush and green; the spring water must be incredibly nourishing, otherwise, how could these creatures bloom so vibrantly, seemingly oblivious to the world's troubles, carefree and unaware of any constraints? It was truly enviable.

"You're still so beautiful, no, even more beautiful." A large, rough, hot hand gently caressed Qingyan's bare shoulder, and a wild male voice uttered heartfelt praise.

"Ah—who?" The sudden fright made Qingyan open her eyes abruptly. Instinctively, she took a few steps back and reached for her clothes on the shore. But as soon as she grabbed the clothes, she lost her balance and slid straight into the spring water, swallowing several mouthfuls of water in the process. "No way! Drowning in a hot spring would be the most ridiculous thing ever!" Qingyan lamented inwardly.

With a splash, someone jumped into the water and lifted her to the surface, finally coughing up the spring water that had choked her lungs. Afraid of falling back into the water, she didn't care about anything else and clung to the person like an octopus, still coughing incessantly, even coughing up tears. Behind her, a large hand was gently patting her back to soothe her discomfort. Qingyan was very familiar with this feeling; many times when she mischievously fell into the water, Ning Yuan had saved her in the same way.

"Ning Yuan!" Qing Yan blurted out as she hugged the strong body, tightening her embrace.

"What did you call me?" The patting hand stopped abruptly, and a rough male voice came out, filled with anger. Qingyan suddenly came to her senses. This was not Ning Yuan, the voice was not his, and the body was not his either. So, she quickly took a few steps back to try to see who it was. The rocks at the bottom of the hot spring caused Qingyan to slip again, and she instinctively grabbed the nearest lifeline once more.

"It's you?" Qingyan stared at the "lifebuoy" in front of her, breaking out in a cold sweat, but she was not easily noticed in the hot spring.

"Woman, you remembered me." The man smiled mischievously and helped Qingyan up, holding her firmly in his arms.

Qingyan composed herself, awkwardly moving away from the man's body and taking a few steps back. She quickly wrapped her clothes tightly around her body, but soaking in the hot spring, the wet clothes made her exquisite curves appear even more alluring.

Why is he here? Qingyan stared at the man in front of her warily. Such a meeting was against etiquette, yet it was also reasonable. How could she not see this man when she arrived in Suizhou?

"Young Master Hai Tu, how have you been?" Qing Yan tried her best to keep her voice calm. Her current state was already disadvantageous, and if she panicked any further, the consequences would be severe.

"Woman, come here!" Such seductive words made Hai Tu feel a little hot, and her deliberate escape only made him more dissatisfied, and his words began to become impatient.

"Your Highness, please have some self-respect." Woman, woman, why does this barbarian call me that? Don't I have a name? Besides, I'm not your woman, Qingyan thought indignantly.

"I've never heard of someone respecting their own woman before." Hai Tu walked provocatively up to Qing Yan and met her gaze, his eyes lingering on her curves.

"Where did this guy get such arrogance?" Qingyan gritted her teeth in anger, her face turning ashen. "You say I'm your woman? Have you even asked my husband?"

"Hahaha, woman, your Ning Yuan is in dire straits now, so you naturally belong to me." Hai Tu's eyes gleamed with the joy of seizing a spoil, which infuriated Qing Yan.

"If you dare do anything to Ning Yuan, I will tear you to pieces." Although Qing Yan was furious, she did not threaten him with such words. She knew that Hai Tu, this barbarian, was the least likely to be threatened. So she raised an eyebrow and smiled, her eyes full of charm: "The husband I'm talking about is not him, but His Highness Prince Zhao." Lan Zhen, you gave yourself the title of husband, don't blame me for using it too easily.

“King Zhao?” Hai Tu’s wild voice rose slightly in question, but quickly returned to normal. “Woman, you don’t need to bother trying to sow discord.”

"Oh, since Your Highness is so certain, why not ask?" Qingyan smiled beautifully, the spring water from her hair dripping into her smile, making her delicate features even more apparent.

The other day at the inn in the small town, those warriors who ordered a table full of dishes but didn't eat them were deliberately dressed as people from the Central Plains. However, rough men usually don't pay attention to details, so the weapons they carried were just hastily disguised and carried by their side. The exotic silver-inlaid hilts of their swords were naturally out of place with the overall look. It seems that they had probably already reported their ambiguous relationship with Lan Zhen to their superiors, otherwise the sea chart wouldn't have arrived so quickly. They had been coveting the Thousand-Mile Buddhist Kingdom in the Western Regions for more than just a day or two.

"What's there to ask?" Hai Tu's gaze followed the drop of crystal-clear water from Qing Yan's hair as it slowly fell. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and his eyes gradually darkened.

Qingyan's alarm bells went off immediately. Although she was still a young girl at the time, she was a mature woman of twenty-six with several romantic relationships in that era. She knew what men were like, and besides, she was determined to have this nautical chart.

Fearfully, she took a step back, feeling a chill against the rock. Her mind raced as she tried to figure out how to resolve the crisis, and she unconsciously wrapped her clothes tighter around herself.

"Woman, do you think you can escape?" Haitu moved closer, trapping her in his arms. With rocks behind her, she had nowhere to retreat.

Suddenly, a hot, unexpected touch landed on Qingyan's lips. Before she could react, her pearly teeth were pried open and penetrated deeply.

If he continues to be so arrogant, I, the crown prince of this country, will lose all face. Besides, I am a woman. As a person from ancient times, he has no sense of propriety or shame whatsoever. It is truly intolerable! Qingyan glared angrily and bit down hard with her teeth. A fishy and sweet taste immediately appeared in her mouth.

"You—" Hai Tu pulled away from her body in pain, wiped his mouth, and saw faint traces of blood on his fingers. When he met Qing Yan's angry eyes again, he actually smiled, "Woman, you're spicy enough. I like you even more now." After saying that, he leaned closer again, and his kiss landed on her again without warning.

What? How could this be? Qingyan's mind went blank for a while, and she even forgot to resist.

As his fiery lips slid down her cheek, his warm, wet kisses gently biting her delicate collarbone, causing a sharp pain, Qingyan immediately snapped back to reality. She instinctively tried to push Haitu away, but he held her firmly in place with his iron arms, preventing her from moving. The message emanating from Haitu's smug eagle eyes was not only provocation but also conquest.

Understanding dawned on her, Qingyan stopped all resistance and said in a deep voice, "I can't beat you, and I'm not as strong as you. Resisting will only hurt me, so I won't do anything useless. However, I can tell you very seriously that what happened today is not just about me, but also about many others who will make you regret more than just a regret!" Qingyan closed her eyes, resigned to her fate, letting him create specks of ambiguity on her body, tears streaming down her face—tears of anger, humiliation, and fear.

Gradually, the person ravaging her body stopped. Whether it was the threat that had an effect or not, Qingyan breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing Qingyan's relieved expression, Haitu couldn't help but smile. He lifted her chin with his finger: "Woman, you've become even more beautiful in the months I haven't seen you. It's no wonder I've missed you so much. This scar on my arm was left for you. I'm afraid only your body can heal it." Haitu waved the hideous totem on his left arm in front of Qingyan, his smile ambiguous. "One day I will make you willingly climb into my bed."

"What does this have to do with me? You were the one who wanted to carve it!" Just thinking about that bloody scene made Qingyan feel dizzy. "Besides, even if you're narcissistic, don't be so arrogant, okay? Only a ghost would climb into your bed!" Qingyan gave him a disdainful sidelong glance and ignored him.

"Woman, you are destined to be entangled with me for life." Hai Tu laughed, and before Qing Yan could refute him, he had already come out of the hot spring, wiped the remaining water from his face and body, and walked away gracefully without looking back.

Qingyan secretly vowed that she would never do anything sneaky again, otherwise she would definitely be caught, like picking lotus flowers this morning, or soaking in the hot spring just now.

Back at her residence, Qingyan's wet body startled Cai'er, who had come to deliver dinner. Cai'er quickly helped her change her clothes, and Qingyan lied that she had accidentally fallen into the lotus pond, which eased the doubt in Cai'er's eyes.

"Miss, please have your meal first. I'll go and make some ginger soup to warm you up." Cai'er was quite thoughtful.

"Mm." Qingyan nodded. It was the coldest time of winter, and even in a greenhouse, one couldn't withstand such a shock. Drinking a bowl of ginger soup and resting for a night should prevent her from catching a cold. Qingyan knew her own body well and wasn't that fragile.

Her stomach was growling with hunger, and seeing the table laden with food, Qingyan devoured it all without hesitation.

Soon the ginger soup was served, and Cai'er thoughtfully had hot water brought over: "Miss, after drinking the ginger soup, take a hot bath, and the cold will be gone."