Chapter 132: Fast Lines

Ru Yi’s heart would not steady no matter how much she tried. It beat too fast, as though it had taken on a will of its own.

It echoed against her ribs with a rhythm she could neither control nor silence.

Each pulse felt sharper than the last, as if something had been stirred awake inside her—something she did not understand and could not name.

No time spent on you is a waste.

Why did Han Shuying always say the most heart fluttering things?

The words lingered, soft and certain, threading through her thoughts no matter how much she tried to push them away,

They should’ve meant nothing. They should have been dismissed as easily as everything else Shuying said.

But—

Ru Yi drew in a slow breath, forcing herself back into control. "I’m leaving." Her voice came out steadier than she felt.

Without waiting for a response, she shifted, moving to rise from the bath and froze. The realization struck all at once, sharp and immediate.

She was still in the water. And she was not dressed.

Heat rushed to her face before she could stop it. And just as quickly as she had begun to stand, she lowered herself back into the bath.

The water closed in around her bare body again, as if nothing had happened.

Behind her, Han Shuying did not move. Her eyes were completely glued to Ru Yi who could feel her piercing gaze on her back.

Ru Yi kept her gaze forward, refusing to turn. She wasn’t going to acknowledge that Han Shuying just saw her in all her naked glory.

"There’s no need for you to worry," Han Shuying said after she cleared her throat. "I’ve seen way better."

Ru Yi’s jaw tightened at the mockery. She exhaled slowly, choosing not to respond, though her fingers curled faintly under the water.

"If there’s nothing else...then you should leave," Ru Yi said. "I need to dry my body."

"I’m not stopping you."

"Han Shuying..."

A long sigh came from behind her. "One more thing before I leave. We’re going to meet again in two nights."

Ru Yi’s brows furrowed. "What are we meeting for? We have no business between us."

"I need to know what the princesses are planning," Han Shuying replied. "I know for certain that they don’t plan to settle down in Emberfall."

"So you can do what? Ambush them?"

Han Shuying shook her head. "Don’t worry your pretty self about that. Their wellbeing should be of no concern to you."

Ru Yi narrowed her eyes. "You’re planning something."

"I’m always planning something. My life does not have room for idleness."

"It doesn’t matter, and I don’t care." Ru Yi let out a quiet disbelieving breath. "But I won’t be your spy."

Han Shuying didn’t look surprised. "Why not?" she asked, almost mildly.

"Because I’m not you."

A flicker—subtle, but there—passed through Han Shuying’s expression.

"I don’t betray people who trust me," Ru Yi continued, her voice steady now, grounded in something firm. "Whatever you think this is, whatever game you’re playing...I won’t be a part of it."

For an agonizing moment, Han Shuying said nothing.

Then very quietly, she asked. "Is that what you think?"

Ru Yi didn’t answer. Because she didn’t like the way the question sounded.

Han Shuying took a step closer, but not enough to invade her space. "Are you certain of that?"

Ru Yi held her ground. "Yes."

"Fine, if that’s the game you want to play." There was an edge in Han Shuying’s voice that hadn’t been there before. "How do you think they’ll feel if they learn it was you that put Empress Lihua’s seal in Yexue’s chamber?"

She put a finger on Ru Yi’s shoulder. "You framed them. You’re the reason they ultimately got kicked out of the palace."

Everything in Ru Yi went still.

The water no longer moved around her. The air felt heavier. Her thoughts...gone.

For a single suspended moment, there was nothing but the echo of those words.

"No." Ru Yi’s voice came out quieter than she intended. "I did what I had to do to survive."

"Did you now?" Han Shuying asked in a teasing voice. "Maybe I should’ve made this about your survival from the start. I really did try to be kind towards you."

"What do you mean?"

"Have their next plan the next time we meet," Han Shuyin’s tone was final, leaving no room for arguments.

"I’m not going to do that. If you want to take them down then do it all on your own." Ru Yi moved away, letting Han Shuying’s hand that had been resting on her shoulder fall to the water.

"Looks like I’ll have to pay the princesses a visit tonight." She dried her wet hand on the cloak she was wearing. "Maybe it’s time to let them know their little maid hasn’t been faithful at all."

Ru Yi turned sharply to her, not caring that Han Shuying could see her bare body through the water. "You wouldn’t dare."

Han Shuying nodded slowly. "Oh, yes. I would."

Ru Yi bit her bottom lip and Han Shuying followed the movement.

She’d only agreed to what Empress Lihua asked her to do in order to save her own life. Yexue was aware of her secret, and didn’t mind it.

But Lieyin and Qingyue would strike her down on the spot if they ever found out she’d betrayed them.

Han Shuying knew that...it was the reason she was holding it over her head.

"I’ll let you know what their plan is," Ru Yi replied in a defeated tone. "But that will be all. No more favors or trying to blackmail me."

Han Shuying gave her a soft smile that was a huge contrast to the situation. "I can’t promise you that."

A voice that didn’t belong to the two of them suddenly cut through the air.

"Ru Yi?"

The sound snapped sharp through the stream.

Ru Yi’s head immediately turned toward the entrance, her heart lurching as recognition hit. It was Shen Yexue.