When Yun Rao heard An Zi yuan's voice, she felt slightly puzzled, yet unexpectedly didn't wish to pay attention, so her steps did not slow down in response to his call—on the contrary, they quickened. Though her lightness of foot was commendable, it could not match An Zi yuan's deep internal energy, and soon he reached her side. "Yun Rao!" A soft voice came from behind, and at the same moment, a strong arm gently encircled her waist without a sound. Startled, Yun Rao instinctively turned her head. Whether due to the suddenness of her movement or because An Zi yuan had leaned too close, when she turned, her lips brushed gently against his. She froze, raising her hand unconsciously to cover her flushed lips, a warm heat rising steadily from beneath her thin skin. An Zi yuan seemed momentarily stunned, gazing at her silently. She grew even more flushed under his gaze, hurriedly turning her head away, and unconsciously pushed apart the hand that was resting on her waist, forgetting at that moment that her feet had already lost their balance and that she was still suspended in the air. As soon as An Zi yuan's hand loosened, a soft sigh, "Ah..." escaped just before she lost control and fell straight downward. Yun Rao lowered her gaze, still feeling a bit uneasy in front of him. "I... I've recovered most of my injuries. I still have... other matters." "Your injuries are only about eight or nine out of ten healed," An Ziyuan replied. "Was it Su Ran? Or Su Yan?" "Neither," Yun Rao said, unconsciously rubbing her nose, her eyes shifting from side to side, feeling uncomfortable. "I've already mentioned I have other things." "What matters?" "..." She opened her mouth, but couldn't quite come up with anything specific. Originally, she had planned to steal the medicine, but now that it had been retrieved, she couldn't recall what else was important. Perhaps it was simply because of the awkwardness she'd just gone through in his presence, making her mind a bit foggy. "Since I can't quite recall what those matters are, let's go back to my estate. The Qilin bracelet is still in your hands, and I must ensure I can always find your whereabouts, don't I?" With those words, An Ziyuan naturally reached for her hand and pulled her along, stepping toward the direction of his estate. He didn’t grip her firmly, and she easily brushed him off. “Master An, I’ve already said it—the Qi Lion bracelet will be returned to you when the time comes. Moreover, I’ve already given you the decoction to dissolve the pills that have been stuck in your intestines. I must come back to exchange for it, after all.” “The remedy has already been administered to you,” he calmly interrupted. “…” Yun Rao pouted. “Then I’ll just take it again…” “Are you rushing to leave because you realized I’ve seen your body?” An Ziyuan suddenly asked, his expression and tone both calm—unremarkably so, as always. Yun Rao felt her face grow warm again, and dared not look at him. “Then I’ll let you see it again,” he said, his voice equally calm, steady, without a single ripple. Unconsciously, Yun Rao lifted her gaze and stared at him, her face now blazing red. Though she was always so ethereal, such words from her felt utterly unreal. An Ziyuan glanced down at her, his steady black eyes subtly stirred, then gradually deepened in hue. He cleared his throat, shifted his gaze to another place, yet his hand naturally settled on her shoulder, saying, "Go back." "Oh." Yun Rao simply followed him without thinking. "Yun Rao, when did you first go to the Yuming Valley?" An Ziyuan asked casually. "About ten years old," she replied with a matter-of-fact tone, then smiled spontaneously—her smile a little uncertain. "I don't remember exactly. Back then, I wasn't really that old, after all." An Ziyuan paused slightly, turned to look at her, studying her face carefully, his eyes subtly conveying curiosity. "Have you always called her Yun Rao?" "Indeed, I can't remember now." She shrugged, speaking casually. "I seem to have forgotten so many things—things I was forced to forget. I just can't recall them anymore. I used to hear that the Ziyun Pill had a remarkable effect in treating memory loss, but it seems to have done little good." Smiling indifferently, Yun Rao glanced at him. "The Qilin will be returned to you in a few days. After all, it's just a rumor—perhaps it doesn't have such extraordinary effects." An Zi yuan smiled slightly, neither responding nor asking her what use she had for the Qilin ring, simply walking with her back to the manor. As both of them were strikingly beautiful, they attracted several onlookers along the way. Yun Rao didn't notice, but An Zi yuan did—he suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her, and with a few light steps, carried her back to the manor. Su Yan and Su Ran had already been arranged to rest by the messenger, and the martial heroes—whether they had departed or settled in—were no longer visible when Yun Rao returned to their temporary residence. "Your face is prone to trouble," An Zi yuan said softly as he set her down. "It's better to wear a veil when you're out and about." Yun Rao blushed, touching her nose, then looked at him, pointing at her face. "Do you also think my face is prone to bringing misfortune?" An Ziyuan cleared his throat, shifting his gaze. "It's getting late; you should go back and rest soon." "Very well, sir. Good night." After saying good night to An Ziyuan, Yun Rao turned and went back to her room. Though the sky had just begun to darken, she still felt no drowsiness. She reached for the Ziyun Pill, placed it near her nose, and inhaled deeply—only to finally sigh and set it aside in resignation. The rumors were indeed just rumors. Thinking of the tale about the Qilin bracelet, Yun Rao rubbed her nose again, realizing she hadn’t even asked An Ziyuan whether the bracelet truly had the miraculous power to restore memories, as the stories claimed. Looking out the window, seeing that the sky wasn’t yet fully dark, she thought for a moment, then got up, dressed, and made her way toward An Ziyuan’s room. As she approached his room, however, she hesitated—perhaps coming at this hour Her gaze unconsciously drifted toward the room, where light was shining—perhaps he hadn't gone to bed yet? She lifted her hand, only to pause hesitantly. What if he didn't habitually turn off the lights? To avoid seeming impromptu, Yun Rao glanced through the slightly worn window paper, which had several small holes. As she looked through the gaps, her face instantly flushed deeply. The scene of the handsome man bathing—though only showing a smooth, graceful back, strong and well-muscled—was already enough to make her feel both blushing and breathless, especially as she had never seen a man's body before. Internally, she chided herself for her boldness, quickly withdrawing her hand and turning to leave. Yet just as she began to move, the person inside was startled. "Who?" came a calm, even tone, without any change in pitch. Unconsciously, Yun Rao turned to depart, but her movement still lagged. Suddenly, a white silk ribbon shot out from the room, catching her waist and wrapping around her. Before she could gasp, she was swept along by the ribbon, moving straight toward the bath tub inside. As Lin gently bumped into the bathtub, the silk robe slipped loose, and Yun Rao instinctively reached out to steady herself against the tub. "Since Miss Yun wishes to see the young lord again, why not simply enter and look at him plainly?" An Zi yuan glanced at her calmly, speaking evenly, still seated within the tub without rising. The warm water only reached his chest, half of his well-built body emerging above the surface, droplets cascading down with a sensuous, alluring grace—worldly far from the pure, untroubled beauty of a celestial maiden he usually presented. Yun Rao's face had turned so crimson it seemed to blaze with fire; her eyes darted nervously, refusing to meet An Zi yuan's gaze, and she stammered in defense, "Lord, you've misunderstood— I mean, I—ah—" Her eyes suddenly widened in alarm, fixed on the near-perfect beauty of the celestial lord before her, the cool touch on her lips nearly halting her heartbeat. He merely lightly covered her lips, with no further movement, simply gazing at her, his dark eyes almost swallowed by the deep, indistinct ink-like hue. In his gaze, she saw herself trembling in alarm. She quickly regained her composure and instinctively reached to pull free. As her body slightly shifted, he suddenly tightened his hold on her waist, pulling her with a firm tug—“plip!” water splashed everywhere, and she was drawn into the bathtub. Startled, she reached to rise, but then her waist tightened suddenly, drawing her toward him, her chin lifted as well. Before she could fully focus, he had swiftly bent down, seizing her lips with decisive strength and force.