Chapter 46: Turning the Tables

“Your Highness, the young lady is waiting for you in the room on the top floor.”
Red Candle led Cheng Guang to the Jade Pavilion, spoke softly, and then guided him to the room’s entrance.
Upon arrival, Red Candle stopped, not proceeding further, respectfully inviting Cheng Guang to enter.
Cheng Guang nodded and pushed the door open without hesitation.
Behind him, Lin Cheng hesitated, choosing not to follow but instead stood quietly beside Red Candle, his eyes involuntarily studying the maid.
He surveyed her with a glance, then snorted derisively and looked away.
Merely a pretty face.
…
Inside the room.
As Cheng Guang stepped in, a delicate yet not overpowering fragrance greeted him.
Within the red curtains and white gauze, steam rose and swirled, and a figure could be vaguely seen bathing, though details were obscured.
At the same time, the air seemed to be filled with a pink aura of ambiguity, stirring the most primal desires in anyone present.
Cheng Guang’s expression remained unchanged as his gaze swept the room, noting the luxurious garments strewn messily across the floor, then glancing at the alluring silhouette behind the red curtains, nearly losing his composure.
Clearly, she knew he would arrive soon and had undressed and slipped into the bath just before his arrival to tempt him.
If that wasn’t enough, she had even sprinkled a powder with CQ properties into the scented candles.
She truly feared he would not be interested in her.
Cheng Guang chuckled inwardly but felt no effect whatsoever.
His Enchanting Eyes rendered him immune to all mental seduction, and it seemed he possessed some resistance to CQ-type substances as well, so he was not easily influenced.
Otherwise, he would have already succumbed.
Unhurried, Cheng Guang sat at the table, poured himself a bowl of tea, and sipped leisurely while watching the inner chamber with interest.
He planned to simply watch—after all, why not enjoy the view?
Moreover, he was curious to see how long Bai Shuxuan would bathe.
While Cheng Guang was feasting his eyes, Bai Shuxuan, bathing inside, was not enjoying herself.
In truth, Cheng Guang had somewhat misjudged Bai Shuxuan.
She did intend to tempt him, and to use the CQ powder as an aid, but she hadn’t expected Cheng Guang to arrive so quickly.
She had planned to bathe first, to appear neat and spirited and to present herself in the best possible manner to him.
Yet, barely had she removed her clothes when Cheng Guang arrived.
Bai Shuxuan was embarrassed.
As the Saintess of the Fox Clan of Qingqiu, she excelled at the art of enchantment, but she was not adept at seduction by direct physical display.
She intended to finish her bath swiftly, but Cheng Guang kept watching her intently, as if it cost him nothing.
His eyes never left her for a moment.
…
Unable to escape his gaze, Bai Shuxuan decided to play along. In her view, Cheng Guang suffered from a hidden ailment.
Even if he watched, he could do nothing.
She might as well treat it as letting a eunuch look.
Though she felt uneasy, there was nothing she could do but force herself to endure—it was all for her own purposes.
Besides, Cheng Guang might not have much time left.
A strange glint flickered in Bai Shuxuan’s beautiful eyes.
Time passed slowly.
Bai Shuxuan was the first to falter.
She had been bathing for a long while, yet Cheng Guang showed no desire to speak, nor was there any sound from the room behind.
If Bai Shuxuan hadn’t sensed his presence, she might have thought she was performing for the air alone.
She quietly turned to peek behind her, and found Cheng Guang staring at her body, eyes shining as though he could see through the thick steam, nodding to himself at times.
Bai Shuxuan was speechless.
The dense mist was a special setup of hers—normally, one could only see a vague shadow.
For someone with little cultivation like Cheng Guang to see her clearly would be absurd.
Still, Bai Shuxuan knew he couldn’t see much, but his casual demeanor diminished her resolve to play along, and she began to dress herself.
She thought to herself that Cheng Guang’s body must be ruined; even the CQ powder had little effect on him—otherwise, how could he remain so calm?
Bai Shuxuan rose from the water and, shielded by the steam, began to dress.
Just then, outside the red curtains, Cheng Guang suddenly coughed.
Bai Shuxuan’s movements paused.
“No worries, go on,”
came Cheng Guang’s voice from outside, utterly serious, his eyes widening further.
Bai Shuxuan felt odd, a strange sensation of being seen through, and hurriedly pulled her clothes over herself.
After a brief commotion, she was fully dressed, lifted the red curtain, and stepped out, her lovely face adorned with a charming smile.
Having just bathed, her fair cheeks were tinged with a captivating blush, her jade-like skin glowing with a rosy sheen, radiant and dewy.
Her dark hair cascaded loosely over her shoulders, and as Bai Shuxuan approached, a pleasant fragrance wafted forth.
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
Her robe was loose, bolder than their first meeting, much of her skin exposed.
Feigning calm, Bai Shuxuan greeted him with a smile and then sat down slowly.
…
Cheng Guang replied with a soft “Mm.”
He examined Bai Shuxuan without a hint of embarrassment, smiling as he said,
“Miss Bai, not seeing you for a day feels like three autumns.”
“You today seem quite different from the person you were yesterday.”
His words made Bai Shuxuan’s jade-like face stiffen slightly. Her red lips pursed, and she cast him a reproachful look full of charm, then gazed at him pitifully, as if tears shimmered in her eyes.
“Your Highness, why did you say such things last night…”
“Do you truly dislike Shuxuan so much?”
As she spoke, she gently touched the corner of her eye, her eyes quickly reddening.
Cheng Guang admired her acting skills inwardly; she could shed tears at will.
He was not embarrassed, instead he looked directly at her and teased,
“So what should I do?”
“How do you want me to make it up to you?”
His counter-question caught Bai Shuxuan off guard.
Fortunately, she was quick to respond, her voice coy,
“Your Highness, however you wish to make it up to me, just do as you please.”
She then bit her red lip in a feigned shy gesture, hinting at desire mixed with restraint.
Though Cheng Guang knew she was acting, his heart still skipped a beat.
Meanwhile, in that brief moment, Cheng Guang noticed a pink radiance emanating from Bai Shuxuan, drifting towards him and merging into his body.
He could feel layers of pink light accumulating on his soul.
But as the mark of his Enchanting Eyes flashed, all those layers suddenly vanished.
He did not need to control it; the divine ability instinctively protected him.
Observing the changes in his body, Cheng Guang’s eyes narrowed, and confidence grew in his heart—his Enchanting Eyes could indeed counter Bai Shuxuan’s arts.
His mind raced, inspiration struck.
He now had a plan for investigating the assassins, for drawing them out.
Since Bai Shuxuan did not yet know her identity was exposed, and since he could fully resist her enchantments—
He could play along.
Cheng Guang smiled faintly, his gaze at Bai Shuxuan carrying an enigmatic undertone.
…