Chapter 12: Wardrobe Malfunction

Chapter 12: An Indecent Exposure

An unfamiliar chill permeated his dark eyes. At this moment, he was like a hunting leopard, and she was nothing more than a weak lamb beneath his claws.

"Th-then I'll go wash. You... you go out first." Although she already had a premonition that things were not going to be simple, Mu Lan still prayed that he would act like a gentleman, as he usually did.

Dongling Jue merely gave a shallow smile. His steps were neither hurried nor slow, yet he had already reached her side. Leaning in slightly, he crowded her between himself and the table. "How about I help you wash?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he suddenly hooked his arm under her. Mu Lan felt her entire body being tossed upward, and then she was lying flat on the table.

Dongling Jue gave her no chance to react; his large hand reached directly for her waist sash, tearing it off in a few quick motions.

"Dongling Jue, what are you doing... Are you crazy!" Realizing what he was about to do to her, Mu Lan finally exploded in fury. She raised her leg and delivered a powerful kick toward his forehead.

At her use of his given name, Dongling Jue’s brow furrowed. He didn't even bother to dodge; the kick landed squarely on his head, yet he didn't flinch. Instead, he reached back to grab her ankle and gave it a hard tug. In this era before the invention of elastic, her loose-fitting trousers were immediately stripped away from her.

Damn that Dongling Jue! Had he practiced iron-head kung fu? He didn't even die from a kick like that. In her humiliated rage, Mu Lan swung her other leg in a sweeping kick as well.

But she quickly discovered that the strength of her current body was like an ant trying to shake a tree compared to Dongling Jue. Her strike, delivered with all her might, was still easily restrained by him.

With her legs pinned and her pants stripped, left wearing only a small pair of underpants while being held upside down by her ankles, Mu Lan felt she might as well just die.

Gazing at the two slender, smooth legs in his hands, Dongling Jue also froze slightly. His gaze traveled up the smooth curves, landing on the translucent, snow-white underpants.

"Don't look!" Mu Lan immediately squirmed, attempting to dodge his gaze.

What she didn't know was that these relatively conservative boxer-style underpants could not hide much from such a high-angle perspective. The moment she moved, the view inside the pant legs was laid bare before him.

The hand gripping her ankles suddenly tightened, and even his handsome brows furrowed. Seeing those dark eyes staring intently at a certain part of her, Mu Lan's face flushed "whoosh" with heat. She couldn't help but bite her lip and turn her head away.

She knew that if she tried to fight him physically, she was no match for him. Therefore, her only option now was to stay calm. Even if... even if he wanted to do *that* to her, he would have to take off his clothes first. Once he started undressing, she would kick him into oblivion.

However, Dongling Jue was in no hurry to undress. He merely stared intensely at the two snow-white pant legs, his gaze so piercing that Mu Lan almost suspected there was something inappropriate visible there.

After a long while, his raised feet were suddenly set down. Dongling Jue swept a cold glance over her and said, "Wash yourself thoroughly!"

With that, he actually turned around and opened the door. Then came the sound of the door closing, followed by the sound of footsteps walking away into the distance.

What kind of drama was he playing at?

Still, it was truly unbelievable that he had actually let her go just like that. Picking up her trousers from the floor to put them on, she bent her leg and suddenly caught sight of her inner thighs, which were rubbed bright red from riding horses all day; in some places, the skin was even broken.

Having grown used to it over the past few days, she hadn't paid much attention to the pain. Could it be because of this that Dongling Jue had suddenly lost interest?

It made sense. Since ancient times, an emperor's women were chosen through meticulous selection and had to undergo physical inspections to ensure not a single flaw existed. Let alone someone like her, who had extensive abrasions in such a private area.

It seemed she had truly turned a misfortune into a blessing.

However, the moment she stepped into the inner chamber, Mu Lan's sense of relief was completely extinguished.

Inside the room was a basin of bathwater that Dongling Jue had used, but that wasn't the point. The point was that there was a window on the west side of the room. At this moment, the window was wide open, and in the dim light of the approaching night, not far ahead was the very grove where the horses were tethered!

So, he had seen everything!

Mu Lan ate dinner separately from Dongling Jue. After the meal, she slunk back to her room and, without a word, dove into her covers. Once she had curled up at the innermost end, she remained motionless, playing dead.

Dongling Jue, however, did not cause her any more trouble. He acted as if she didn't exist, lifting the quilt, lying down, and remaining silent.

In the gloom, there was only the faint sound of their breathing. Mu Lan suddenly felt that this scene felt strangely like a married couple in a cold war. Bah!

The next day, they set out again after breakfast. As she swung herself onto her horse, Mu Lan suddenly noticed that the saddle felt a bit different. Looking closely, she realized the seat cushion seemed to have been modified and was significantly more comfortable.

Could this have been done by Dongling Jue? Mu Lan looked at him doubtfully, but unexpectedly, Dongling Jue wasn't looking her way at all. He mounted his horse, gave a cold command of "Depart," and rode ahead.

Not earlier, not later, but precisely today, after she had been exposed to him, he changed the saddle. Could it really be him? What was his intention in doing this?

Mu Lan thought as she guided her horse. Given that her conversation with Xiao Yi yesterday might have been overheard, with Dongling Jue's insidious and cunning nature, he certainly wouldn't let her off easily.

Could it be? Did he find the wounds on her legs unsightly and want them to heal quickly so he could devour her completely next time? It seemed there was no other possibility.

Truly a scoundrel!

The group finally crossed the border of the Xia Liang Kingdom and officially entered the Wasteland before noon. The Wasteland actually belonged to the Youqiong Kingdom, but because the land was barren and the climate was dry, few people ventured there.

After traveling all day under the scorching sun, they finally set up camp by a small river in the evening. Tonight, they could only camp in the open. Mu Lan realized that the opportunity she had been waiting for had finally arrived.

Although the surroundings were desolate, several bonfires were lit in the clearing to prevent wild beasts from attacking at night. After eating, taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, Mu Lan tossed a handful of things into the fire.

She owed this much to the original owner of this body, Jin Ning. Xia Liang was a land rich in medicinal herbs, and Jin Ning was quite proficient in pharmacology. Therefore, when she was planning her escape, she had easily obtained these "essential medicines" for a getaway.