A Woman? (1)

Yinyue submerged herself into the warm waters of the wooden bathtub and laid back her head against the tub. No more talkers on the rooftop. Her eyes closed after massaging the powdered sandalwood and bean ash into her tensed muscles, relaxing in a watery, warm embrace.

The bathtub in the dim candlelit environment reminded her of the sulphuric hot springs in her residence.

Her mind drift away like the laps of water washing the dirt from her skin. All her worries ebbed while the gentle motions of the water caressed her skin. A momentary peace found, providing a temporary respite from the endless tides of chaos faced in her tedious duties as a Grand Prince.

How long she spent in the tub, she didn't care, even with the mild ache of the wounds on her back. Her eyelids grew too heavy for her to open her eyes. Euphoria lifted her weariness, sending her floating high among the clouds.

If only peace could last this long, but it didn't.

She heard a noise above her. Then a large splash, followed by beads of water spraying into her face. Her eyes snapped open. Her limbs felt too heavy to move, and her vision blurred.

Two shadows stood in the tub. One was tall, the other short. Both loomed over her. Panic surged through her veins, but her mind struck back the panic. She needed to think fast, especially when made vulnerable and naked.

A weight held her legs down. It felt like two legs squashing hers.

Every movement she made became a monumental task. Her mind couldn't coordinate her sluggish limbs. Only a few rare sedative drugs could make her act this way.

Lifting an arm felt like she was trying to carry a horse. She mustered her strength and kicked free from the weight. She tried to leap over the bathtub away from the shadowy figures. Instead, she stumbled and fell to the floor with a thud and her nose hitting the floor.

A familiar fishy smell of blood assaulted her nose. She didn't know if her nose was bleeding from the fall, but the tip of her nose stung. She pushed herself up and turned to the tub in time to see the blurred figure of a tall man pulling another out of the water.

Her men didn't rush in from the noise. She suspected they, too, must be drugged to sleep.

Her hands felt around for the rack. She remembered the towel hanging on the lowest rack. Something soft in her hands and she yanked it. She wrapped it around to shield her naked body from any unwanted attention.

"Who're you?" She demanded as the shadowy figure walked past her, carrying someone towards her canopy bed.

Her vision sharpened as her body reacted to clear the effects. A recognisable silver wolf mask caught her eye. He is that Simurg leader with his odd eyes.

After placing someone on her bed, he glided towards her. Not walk but glided. Yinyue wondered if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

"Heh… a woman?"

Before she could reply or even act, Yinyue felt two blunt hits on her chest. He had sealed off her meridian points to paralyse her. Only her head and neck could move. He pulled her hair and placed his face near hers. Those different colored eyes stared into hers, silently challenging her. If he wanted a challenge, she would deliver one.

Yinyue spat at him, but he dodged fast. Her spittle ended up on the floor. He pulled a curved dagger from his waist belt and brandished it in front of her face.

"How did you add those drugs to the incense?" Yinyue scowled, ignoring the dagger. She couldn't move, devoid of her internal strength to free the meridian points. He added something else on top of the sedation to the incense to render her defenceless.

But surrender was not a choice. She knew what savagery men can do to a woman. Better to die fighting back than to be humiliated.

"You left your window open," he replied, gesturing his dagger at the window. "Easy escaping the notice of the inn guards, too."

Ashina didn't hold leadership of the Simurg for nothing. He seized any opportunity he could. Especially when the opponent was distracted. He had been watching the inn since he arrived.

Infiltrating the inn was a child's game to him.

When Yinyue was busy reprimanding the guards, he snuck into her room without anyone noticing.

"What do you want?" She asked when he lowered his face to hers.

"Don't worry, you're too scrawny. Too thin. Not worth touching. Flat too." His warm breath brushed against her lips while he looked her straight in the eye. "Not my type."

He made no attempt to touch her but sat back, creating a small distance between them. The way he spoke now was different from the first time they met. The first time, he pretended to be bad at the language of the Central Plains. Now he spoke with 01's level of fluency, together with the Xirong accent.

"I'm only here because of him." He glanced at 01 resting on the bed and sheathed his dagger.

01 was his younger twin brother. The one who went missing and treated as dead. Ashina could only do so much right now for him.

Then he pulled out two stuffed vials and placed it on the table. "His antidote - if he stops, he bleeds. Tomorrow morning, one pill. Then night one pill."

She stared at him. He threw a man on her bed and expected her to nurse him?

Ashina read her thoughts from her stunned reaction and pointed to the man on the bed. "He is 01, no?

His words surprised her. She squinted her eyes at the one who was lying on her bed. He grabbed her by the waist from behind.

She could feel his fingers through the thin cloth around her waist. His grip was tight enough to feel the heat from his touch. Goosebumps rose on her skin and her cheeks flushed warmly. She could feel how firm his muscles were from their bodies pressed against each other. The breath on the back of her neck made her want to swing around and throw a punch.

She had never been grabbed by a man in this way before. It made her heart thump very fast, like a pounded war drum.

What about her guards? What if they rushed in to see this scene? She realised that none of her guards rushed during her ordeal. Were they also drugged to sleep?

What if her damn towel fell off? She bit her lips. Screaming would only make the whole situation worse. If only she could struggle free, but her body didn't obey her mind.

She had no room for escape.