Hot flashes

The battle of Black Wind Valley ended in a clean and brilliant surprise attack. Xiao Jue's planning was precise and ruthless, and General Zhao's feint attack on the front was impressive and successfully drew away the main force of the bandit army.

Mr. Du and Zhou Heng worked together and indeed found a nearly forgotten abandoned mine tunnel branch. Although narrow and rugged, it was just wide enough for a few people to crawl through.

Thirty elite assassins emerged from the mountain like ghosts, storming the heart of the bandit stronghold. With their combined inside and outside forces, the bandit army was thrown into chaos.

In just three days, the bandits entrenched in Heifeng Valley, along with the few suspected foreign commanders, were completely eradicated.

The good news boosted the morale of the entire army.

Xiao Jue ordered a reward for the three armies and held a victory banquet in Yingyang City. He not only rewarded the meritorious soldiers but also invited prominent officials and gentry from Yingyang who had surrendered to join in the festivities, intending to further solidify the morale of the people.

The banquet was naturally much grander than the previous ones. Fine wines and delicacies were served in a continuous stream, and the guests and hosts enjoyed themselves immensely, with toasts and laughter filling the air.

Xiao Jue sat at the head of the table, accepting rounds of toasts and compliments, occasionally raising his glass in acknowledgment, his gaze sweeping lightly over the entire room.

This time, Zhou Heng learned his lesson. He kept in mind the painful lessons of his previous "alcohol can cloud judgment" and resolutely adhered to the principle of "only taking a small sip."

When others offer him a toast, he simply touches his lips to the glass and that's it; when colleagues urge him to drink, he makes excuses such as "I'm not good at drinking" or "I still need to organize battle reports," and declines whenever possible.

Throughout the night, the wine in front of me was barely touched, but I ate quite a few good dishes, especially a lamb chop that was grilled to a perfect crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.

He didn't want to cause any more uncontrollable consequences due to being drunk.

Especially tonight, with such a lively atmosphere and someone having just won a battle and being in high spirits... Zhou Heng secretly glanced at Xiao Jue, who seemed calm on the main seat but whose eyes seemed brighter than usual, and alarm bells went off in his mind.

He observed that Xiao Jue seemed to be surrounded by several generals offering toasts and couldn't get away, so he quietly put down his chopsticks, gestured to a military officer next to him who was talking quietly with Mr. Du, and then moved away from the lively banquet as naturally and little by little as possible.

Stepping out of the warm, noisy hall, a night breeze blew, and Zhou Heng immediately felt refreshed.

Where to go? Straight back to the main tent? Wouldn't that be walking into a trap? If Xiao Jue goes back later, he'll be drunk, and I'll just be handing myself over to him.

Zhou Heng rolled his eyes and decided to wander around the garden of the city lord's mansion to kill time. He would wait until the banquet was almost over and Xiao Jue should go back to sober up before sneaking back.

The moonlight was lovely, and the shadows of the trees swayed gently in the garden, with its artificial hills and flowing water, creating a rather elegant atmosphere.

Zhou Heng strolled slowly with his hands behind his back.

As he was lost in thought, humming a tune, and wandering to a relatively secluded bamboo grove path, Zhou Heng suddenly felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up without warning!

He turned around abruptly—

Moonlight filtered through the bamboo leaves, casting dappled shadows. At the entrance of the small path, a tall figure had quietly appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.

Her dark-colored casual clothes blended almost seamlessly into the night, except for her eyes, which shone brightly in the moonlight, fixed intently on him without blinking.

It's Xiao Jue!

What is he doing here?!

Moreover... Zhou Heng could see clearly that although Xiao Jue stood upright and his steps were steady, his handsome face was flushed with a faint red from drinking, and his eyes were deeper and brighter than usual, churning with a certain emotion that Zhou Heng was all too familiar with, an emotion that made his legs go weak.

The gaze seemed to carry a tangible heat, "licking" him from head to toe, finally settling on his slightly parted lips in astonishment.

We're doomed!

Zhou Heng's mind went blank. He understood that look all too well! It was more terrifying than drinking a super-nutritious tonic!

Zhou Heng suddenly turned around and ran away!

"Stop." Xiao Jue's voice came from behind, not loud, even with a hint of drunken languor, yet it was like an invisible rope, trying to trip Zhou Heng up.

Stop? Only a fool would stop!

Zhou Heng ran even faster!

However, he hadn't run far when he realized that the footsteps behind him hadn't moved away; instead, they were following him at a leisurely and unhurried pace.

The footsteps were neither hurried nor slow, like a cat teasing a mouse scurrying under its paws, certain that it could not escape its grasp no matter what.

Zhou Heng panicked even more, and he wandered around, deliberately choosing places with many trees and dim lighting.

But no matter where he ran, that steady, imposing footstep always followed him, neither too close nor too far.

In his panic, Zhou Heng ran aimlessly into a denser grove of osmanthus trees.

The moonlight was fragmented by the branches and leaves, creating a chaotic interplay of light and shadow on the ground.

He leaned against the tree trunk, panting, and looked back. He saw Xiao Jue's figure stop not far away.

This scene... has an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

In a flash, a fragment of a deeply repressed, fiery, and chaotic dream in Xiao Jue's mind suddenly overlapped with the scene before him—

In my dream, the moonlight was just as hazy, and the shadows of the trees were just as swaying.

A blurry figure ran frantically ahead, her waist slender, her neck gleaming white in the moonlight, igniting a fire within him that burned fiercely, a burning desire to seize her, imprison her, and devour her whole…

Reality and dreams collided violently! The desire that had been suppressed for days, fueled by alcohol and the vivid and alluring scene of "escape" before his eyes, completely breached the dam of reason!

"Heh..." A low, hoarse, almost pleasurable sigh escaped Xiao Jue's throat, and his "leisurely" pursuit posture vanished instantly!

Zhou Heng felt a blur before his eyes, and a hot wind mixed with the smell of alcohol and the sharp scent of pine wood suddenly rushed in front of him!

Before he could even cry out in alarm, his wrist was firmly gripped by a large, iron-like hand. An irresistible force surged through him, and as the world spun around him, his back slammed heavily against the rough tree trunk.

"Xiao... um!" The words of protest were silenced by a hot and fierce kiss.

The kiss, heavy with the effects of alcohol and long-suppressed, violent desire, hardly qualifies as a kiss; it's more like plunder and devouring.

Xiao Jue's tongue forcefully pried open his teeth, conquering and stealing the meager air from his mouth.

Her other hand wasn't idle either; it precisely reached his waist and began violently pulling at his belt!

Zhou Heng was terrified! This place might be remote, but what if a night patrol guard or a servant getting up in the middle of the night passed by?! How could he face anyone after that?!

"Ugh! Let...let go!" He struggled desperately, his hands pressing against Xiao Jue's hard chest, pushing with all his might, pleading incoherently, "Go...go back! Xiao Jue! Let's go back! Please, let's go back?!"

But Xiao Jue couldn't listen to any of that at the moment. Busy with military affairs and pre-battle planning, he had been celibate for many days. Now, with the person he had been thinking about in his arms, and in this state, it completely ignited all the violent and possessive factors in his blood.

Instead of stopping, he kissed her even more deeply, and his movements toward her belt became even more urgent.

Sensing something... Zhou Heng turned pale with fright, and the image of him making headlines in Yingyang tomorrow with the shocking rumor of "the Marquis of Zhenbei and his secretary having sex under the moon" flashed through his mind!

No! Absolutely not!

Zhou Heng steeled his resolve and closed his eyes.