Chapter 131: In the water

There were still the faint sounds of water settling, the distant drip from the eaves and the soft hiss of steam rising and curling along the beams.

The sound of Ru Yi’s rushed breathing permeated it all, her chest rising and falling in rapid movements.

"I’m actually quite offended that you can’t recognize my voice," Han Shuying whispered, keeping her hand steady on Ru Yi’s neck.

She was oddly satisfied with the beat of Ru Yi’s pulse beneath her fingers. It gave her a rush knowing she was keeping Ru Yi at the brink of death but never quite pushing her over it.

Han Shuying brushed her other hand across Ru Yi’s collarbone.

Ru Yi let her haze drop to it, her attention narrowing to details. There, half-hidden beneath the sleeve, was a glint of something familiar.

It was subtle, easy to miss if one wasn’t looking for it.

Ru Yi’s eyes widened as she examined the bracelet. "Han Shuying?" The name slipped out before she could stop it.

A soft exhale escaped behind her. "I was wondering how long it would take you," Han Shuying said, her voice low and close.

"I’m almost tempted to be disappointed in you." Her hot breath brushed the shell of Ru Yi’s ear.

Ru Yi’s jaw tightened. "What do you want?" She knew Han Shuying’s presence in Emberfall couldn’t be a coincidence. "Did Empress Lihua send you this time?"

The question made something in Han Shuying’s demeanor tick. "No," she answered, a little bit too fast. "I’m here all on my own."

Ru Yi shook her head. "You serve Empress Lihua, everything you do is for her. You wouldn’t risk coming here for something meaningless."

Han Shuying tilted her head to the side. "You’re not meaningless."

Ru Yi didn’t realize when she relaxed into Han Shuying’s touch. "Are you here for the triplets?" she asked, going tense when Han Shuying tightened her grip.

"Don’t talk about other women when you’re with me," Han Shuying said in displeasure. "I’m here for you and you alone. Although that can change depending on whether you choose to cooperate with me."

Ru Yi’s pulse quickened. "Are you here to take me back to the capital?" she asked.

Han Shuying shook her head even though Ru Yi couldn’t see it. "If you ever go back to the capital with me, I want it to be of your own freewill. I’m not here to force you."

"Don’t waste your time," Ru Yi replied with a sneer. "I’m never going back there after trying so hard to leave."

Han Shuying traced Ru Yi’s shoulders with her fingers. "Do you want to spend the rest of your life running with fugitives?"

Ru Yi bit down on her bottom lip before speaking. "We both know they’re innocent."

"Right." Han Shuying leaned in closer.

The movement was subtle but Ru Yi felt it immediately, the shift in the presence. It was the quiet pressure of someone stepping into her space without touching her.

"Do you remember what I told you the last time?" Han Shuying asked. "Back in Tiancheng."

Ru Yi tried to find the answer but her memory of that day was blurry. "No."

Han Shuying finally lifted her fingers from Ru Yi’s neck and ran them along the sides of her arm. "I told you that the next time I see you..." her fingers went to Ru Yi’s waist. "That I won’t be letting go."

Ru Yi stiffened. "I’m not going to be your plaything!"

"You’ve never been a plaything to me." Han Shuying sounded honest in her conviction. "Don’t tell me you can’t feel this pull between us."

Ru Yi’s breath faltered, just once, but it was enough.

Han Shuying noticed.

"For someone so observant," Shuying continued, her tone almost thoughtful, "you’re choosing not to see something very obvious."

"Whatever you think it is, you’re imagining it!" Ru Yi stuttered a bit, all too aware of Han Shuying’s wandering fingers along her arms.

How long had she been in the water for? That, she couldn’t tell. Whenever she was with Han Shuying, time seemed to go on a stand still.

"Am I?" Han Shuying asked quietly.

The question lingered, cutting through the denial without force, without urgency. It left Ru Yi with nothing to push against except her own uncertainty.

"Then why," Han Shuying continued, her voice dropping further, "are you so still?"

Ru Yi’s fingers curled beneath the water as the truth of it settled in, her own body betraying her. "I don’t think you understand. I now hate you, that’s all there is to us."

"Then let me change your mind..." Han Shuying withdrew her hands from the water. "I don’t mind that you’ve had your thing with Shen Yexue. I’ll consider it a momentary lapse in judgement."

"Han—"

She put her palm over Ru Yi’s mouth. "Let me finish. While I can’t promise whatever I feel goes beyond mere attraction, I still want to explore all the possible options I have with you. Ru Yi."

A flash of the nightmare Ru Yi had flashed in her mind. Han Shuying had been the one standing beside her in that dream.

Was she a part of the five the old woman said she had soul ties with? Ru Yi could already feel the beginning of a headache.

"And how do you intend to do that?" Ru Yi asked, her throat going dry. "I feel nothing but hatred for you. Surely, you don’t want to force your feelings on me."

Han Shuying laughed, short and brief. And while it was a very rare sound to leave her lips, Ru Yi found herself still fascinated by it.

"I don’t think you know the lengths I can go when I want something, Ru Yi."

That sent a chill down Ru Yi’s spine.

Of course, she was well aware of how dangerous Han Shuying was.

"You’re wasting your time on me," Ru Yi muttered. "I know you’re working with Empress Lihua to take over the capital. Why don’t you focus on that instead?"

Han Shuying’s gaze drifted to Ru Yi’s chest, right above the water. "No time spent on you is a waste."