Her heart beat like a drum, that unusual tremor in her chest had lasted for a long time. If she traced it back, ever since that man had murmured those words between her lips and teeth, her left chest had been thumping nonstop.

  I will never leave you again...

  She was the building master of Feixia Tower, the one who "robs others' loved ones, never helps others fulfill their wishes". In this vast world, you could hardly find another gorgeous beauty born as enchanting as her. She was so beautiful, so wonderful—would she still fear that man would abandon her?

  No, that was not it... She did not fear that their romance would end. What she feared was that she could not cut it clean, could not leave without a single trace of longing.

  When she had poured out her true heart to him in the small pavilion on Lu Cao Island, in that instant, she had finally understood completely—the scar he had left when he left without a word four years ago had always been hidden there, never truly erased.

  He followed her, and she followed him in return. Along the "Spring River Path" they shared, they roamed free and unrestrained, drinking wine today while they still had it. As for what the future held, no one could say for sure. If he treated her badly, she would just do what he did, leave without a word, go far away and never see him again. Anyway, they never made any promise to grow old together, did they...

  Wait!

  Wha... a vow of growing old together?!

  The beautiful pupils reflected the purple haze in the Acacia Woods, they flickered, as if startled by the word that suddenly crossed her mind, and her lazy, casual footsteps could not help but pause.

  Come with me, "believe in" me for a lifetime, stay with me.

  When that man had lured her to go with him, he had held her tightly against his chest, forced her to promise.

  So, does "for a lifetime" equal a vow of growing old together?

  She touched her slightly warm face, curled her lips into a smile, and thought that her "Spring River Path" had truly become more and more affectionate, yet also more and more innocent at the same time. Affectionate and innocent—this licentious building master has really restrained herself too much!

  "Building Master, the little guards said you were looking for me?" A pleasant voice followed by slightly hurried footsteps gathered behind her.

  Hua Duomei curved into a smile, her expression calm and lazy.

  "Sister Danhua, are you busy today?"

  "Not really." Lu Danhua, who had hurried to Purple Acacia Woods, had a rosy glow on her fair cheeks, fine beads of sweat on her forehead. She slowed her breath and continued, "This morning, wine merchants, butchers and vegetable vendors delivered goods, I've checked the items and settled the accounts. Several floor tiles in the big martial arena in the East Mansion were accidentally broken when the brothers were sparring, I had craftsmen come repair them this morning too. Other than that, everything else is just trivial matters. I'm not busy. Just give me your orders, Building Master."

  "It's good that you're not busy," her voice was low, the smile seemed to be held between her lips.

  "Building Master, you... Building Master, watch out!" Lu Danhua suddenly cried out in surprise. She quickly rushed forward, her slender outstretched arm caught Hua Duomei's swaying, staggering body at the critical last moment.

  "Danhua, my head is a little dizzy. One moment I'm cold, the next I'm hot..." her voice was weak, she tilted her head and leaned against the shoulder even frailer than hers.

  "It's the transition between spring and autumn these days, the sea wind changes strength unpredictably, and you always come here to soak in the cold spring. You've probably caught a chill. Let me help you back to the tower to rest, then call a doctor over." The kind-hearted girl suspected nothing, she pressed her small hand to the Building Master's forehead to test her temperature.

  "Sister... you're so good to me, I really have to repay you properly..." she murmured.

  "What did you say, Building Master?"

  "Nothing..." Hua Duomei shook her head as if completely drained of strength. "To get back to the tower we have to climb up the cliff, it's hard for you to support me on that stone path. Let me lie down over there at the stone house first, when my head stops hurting, we'll go back."

  "Alright." Lu Danhua answered, and quickly helped the weak Hua Duomei towards the stone house by the purple woods.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  After barely freeing one hand to push open the heavy wooden door, Lu Danhua said again, "Rest here for a while, Building Master. I'll go up and get some people to help, and send someone to fetch the doctor."

  "Okay..." As she said "okay", Hua Duomei suddenly switched places with a shift of her figure, then gave a light push with both sleeves, pushing Lu Danhua, who had supported her all the way, into the stone house, and stayed outside herself.

  "Building Master!" After staggering a few steps to steady herself, Lu Danhua was about to see what had happened, when the heavy wooden door of the stone house closed with a loud bang.

  The stone house had no windows. As soon as the door closed, the light from the small oil lamp on the table became especially bright.

  Lu Danhua had no time to think, she tried to pull the door open, but the sound of chains and a lock clicking into place came from outside. She was so shocked that her beautiful eyes widened, her face turned pale, and she finally realized that she had been played again.

  "Let me out! Building Master!" She kept pounding on the door.

  Outside the door, Hua Duomei tucked a small key into her waist, she spoke in a soft warm voice with a smile, soothing the girl inside the house.

  "Don't be afraid, don't be angry, sister. Turn around and look at the bed inside, the good stuff I prepared for you is lying there. Oh, a woman kept moisturized by a man stays forever young. You were too shy to learn the 'Jade Chamber Secret Arts', but you've run into me training the twelve little guards these days, you must have heard a thing or two, right?"

  "I want out, Building Master... I... I... what is that smell... " As if she had smelled something, her voice suddenly went soft, lost its strength.

  Hua Duomei smiled, and encouraged her, "The stone house is filled with the secret aphrodisiac incense I mixed myself. It's not harmful if you smell more of it, at most you'll just feel light-headed and fuzzy, and you'll be able to let out all the desires in your heart. Don't be afraid. Go look at the man on the bed quickly, enjoy him properly if you like him. I've pierced that man with enough hibiscus golden needles dipped in incense, and fed him enough aphrodisiac. No matter how faint and weak he is, his body can still put on a good show. If you don't have fun with him, you'll be uncomfortable, and he'll be in pain too—pain so bad it feels like his whole body's meridians are going to burst. So sister, just follow your desires, do what comes naturally." She paused slightly, then promised in a low voice, "Don't worry, sister, I will definitely come unlock the door for you later."

  After trapping the two dazed people in the trap, the graceful figure outside the door turned lightly and walked into the hazy purple Acacia Woods.

  The incense smoked in the stone house is a aphrodisiac made with "mandala root" as the main ingredient.

  "Mandala root" is extremely similar to a man's original yang, the scent it gives off has an aphrodisiac effect. In the past, when she had first tried this aphrodisiac, because she was not familiar with its properties and had drunk a lot of strong wine, she had ended up completely dazed, unable to wake up even if she wanted to. Later, this aphrodisiac was taken away by Lei Salang, and after pestering him many times, she finally got it back.

  When she had tested the medicine blindly back then, she still remembered the effect clearly. When she had lost her mind, her whole body was hot and wet, the deep desire hidden inside her broke free like a wild horse. She didn't care about anything, she just wanted a man to comfort her... wanted a man... wanted that man who occupied her heart...

  This was a dangerous move.

  She hoped that the girl in the stone house would throw away that fatal reserve, just like she was back then when she was soaked in the mandala root incense, and let her lust show in her daze, and just go for that hateful man buried deep in her heart.

  This move of hers was indeed extremely dangerous. Now it was like a sword drawn to its hilt, it had to be released.

  She had no regrets. Even if Lei Salang found out about this, and the storm that would follow swallowed her whole, she still had no regrets.

  Should she be worried?

  She couldn't even say.

  However, the feeling that rippled in her heart was quite interesting, worth her pondering over carefully. She thought, she wasn't just playing with other people, she was also boldly playing with herself.

  She clearly knew this would stir up a huge storm, yet she still did it without hesitation. No matter how shocking the thing was, she decided to do it or not based entirely on her own personal desire. That was just who Hua Duomei was.

  This self-willed, unrestrained her had angered that man she cared about so deeply in her heart over and over again. He said, he would not abandon her, no matter how angry he was, he would never disappear from her side...

  Is that true? Is it really like that?

  Is a man's promise worth its weight in gold?

  She was just too restless, too arrogant and reckless, that she wanted to test him through this pair of people trapped in the stone house.

  Unmatched beauty under heaven, she deserved that title. She was beautiful and vibrant, the most gorgeous of all. And when it came to that harshness she had towards herself, that was also unmatched under heaven!

  When the truth could no longer be hidden, what would that man do?

  She wanted to know. Even though her heart was stretched so tight it was almost bursting, stretched so tight it hurt unbearably, she still wanted to know, she really, really wanted to...

  Heaven must have heard her wish. Her "I really, really want to know" got an answer before the sun set that same day.

  After the stone house had been locked for exactly two hours, the sunset glow intertwined with the purple haze of the whole woods, purple dyed the glow, red bled into the purple. She wandered alone in the purple woods, every once in a while she would wander back to the stone house, unconsciously listening for sounds inside. Though she had not seen the scene inside with her own eyes, from the tender sounds that seeped through the stone walls and the wooden door, she could guess that the affair between the two inside was going just as she had wished... Leaning against the door, Hua Duomei's eyebrows lifted, her lips curled in a smile.

  She estimated she would unlock the door in another half hour, but a familiar figure broke into the purple woods.

  The tall man strode over quickly, as if he was in a great hurry, he didn't even take off his cloak. His hair, which must have been loosened and messed up by the strong wind after galloping on horseback, was scattered wildly. His rough face, his eyebrows shot up, his breath was rough, his expression was stern almost to the point of being ferocious.

  "Where are Danhua and Baluo?"