With her Master refusing to see her, Cui Xi felt like a caged animal. As winter melted into a wet spring gradually followed by warmer weather, Cui Xi became restless with new ideas.

 

By now Xiao Hei was quite used to the strange things that his mistress designed, and the new bathhouse was no exception. She had spent days and days drawing and then weeks discussing with craftsman and metal workers. He had watched the little wooden building go up and finally today they were going to start the actual construction of the interior. He had asked a few times about it, but Mistress had only smiled mysteriously.

 

“Don’t worry, Xiao Hei. When it’s done you and Xiao Yu can use it too!” she laughed.

 

Xiao Hei smirked to himself. Mistress was quite spoilt…all this fuss for a bathhouse? He sat for quite some time observing the workman going in and out of the little building. At one point three men carried in a large metal barrel girded with wooden slats… and then they carried in what look like copper tubes.

 

Seven days later, Xiao Hei, Xiao Yu and Cui Xi stood in front of the bathhouse.

 

“It’s not perfect and the water heater must be turned on an hour before, but come and see!” Cui Xi clasped her hands together gleefully.

 

After trial and error and multiple discussions with craftsman, she finally had her shower and bath. Although the pump that had been installed to bring the water up from the well into the copper pipes had to be hand-pumped this was still better than carrying the water. The water was then piped directly into a specially designed boiler tank. There had been no way to create a heating element within the metal barrel, so she had had to settle for a fire pit. This caused the metal barrel to become burning hot, so she had had it suspended within a cage to prevent someone from burning themselves on it. It had taken her quite some time to figure out how long to boil the tank without melting the bottom, while heating the water enough that it wouldn’t be cold after travelling through the downstream pipes that connected to the shower and the bath. A hand pump operated the water for the shower, and one operated the bath. Although the shower was not continuous, this was fine and would suit most of her needs. The sunken bath was just a luxury.

 

Her delight in showing all these things to Xiao Hei and Xiao Yu was only intensified as she watched their eyes widen in amazement. Xiao Hei stood for a long time with one hand under the shower head and the other hand operating the pump, watching the water splash over his fingers onto the floor and into the drain.

 

Cui Xi showed them the wooden tags hung on the door. One was red and the other was green. She explained that the red tag was to show the bath was occupied and the green that it was empty. Of course, this made sense as Cui Xi had no intentions of having Xiao Hei walk in on her while she was using the bathhouse. She gave each a key.

 

Later that evening she hung the red tag on the door and went in without noticing that an intruder had come into her courtyard.

 

Wandering uninvited into the garden, the Seventh Prince noticed a wisp of steam coming out of the side of a newly constructed wood building and wondered what it was.

 

Where is she?

 

He could see that a small window was propped open, and he squeezed through the opening with a little effort. Smiling, he immediately determined that the sound of humming was Cui Xi. The sound of water splashing enticed him as he surreptitiously entered the inner room.

 

When he entered, he saw that she was standing with her back to him under a strange spout and water was splashing down onto her as she operated a metal handle built into the wall. His mouth dropped open as he saw her there standing naked, gently swaying her body. He realized in shock that she was dancing. Her damp hair swung with her body, swishing erotically from side to side over her fine hips and rounded bottom. The warm water had made her skin flush pink, and she was slender and beautiful.

 

He smiled to himself as he could see that her eyes were closed and that she was locked in her own world, humming and swaying, completely oblivious to his presence. She spun in a circle with her arms over her head and giggled. He stared at her, gripping the door frame, and got hard just watching her. No longer able to resist the sight of her, he swiftly went to her side, spun her into his arms, and ignoring her surprised shriek, pressed a smouldering kiss onto her mouth. He moulded her body tightly against him, and he didn’t care that his clothes became completely soaked under the spray of the spout.

 

I want you.

 

“Mmmmmn!!!” she protested, banging her fists against his chest.

 

“Mistress?” Xiao Hei’s voice floated in from somewhere outside the bathhouse.

 

She continued to thump insistently, but her mouth was still being forcefully invaded, and she made another unwilling sound as his hands lightly caressed her shoulder blades and then one hand slid down her back. Left with no choice, she bit him until she could taste the copper of his blood in her mouth, and only then did his grip loosen. She sucked in a ragged breath and then called out to Xiao Hei.

 

“I’m alright,” she coughed, spitting blood out of her mouth.

 

This bastard…

 

Obviously, Xiao Hei hadn’t waited for her answer as at that same instant the door was kicked open and he jumped in with his sabre drawn. The Seventh Prince skilfully turned her such that his back was to Xiao Hei and her naked body was concealed by his. Then he pulled off his outer robe and covered her, wrapping her up tightly.

 

Realizing it was the Prince, Xiao Hei straightened, but did not sheathe the sabre. He stood glaring with righteous indignation at him.

 

“Get out, Cousin,” Xiao Hei said coldly. Despite the blush on his cheeks, his voice was steady.

 

“You little brat, you don’t have the ability to make me,” the Prince responded with contempt, glancing over his shoulder. The two men stood glaring at each other. For a moment nothing was said as the steam drifted almost lazily between them.

 

Cui Xi struggled a bit in the Prince’s embrace and the arms around her instantly loosened. Peaking around one wet arm, her face red, Cui Xi’s heart sank as she observed the naked hatred on Xiao Hei’s face. She took a breath.

 

“Xiao Hei,” she said very gently. “I’ll be alright. You can go.”

 

The look he gave her was complicated and unwilling. Finally, he sighed and turned away with a “Yes, Mistress.”

 

The Seventh Prince watched him quietly shut the door. Walking away, he crossed his arms over his chest and casually leaned up against the wall of the bath house.

 

“You can’t treat Murongs like pets! One day he is going to grow up. If A’Yan wasn’t completely insistent on the boy having his way, I would already have had him removed to his own place. Right now, you’re just selfishly holding him back.”

 

“I’m not holding him back! I’m letting him have this time. Once he accepts his place as heir, he’ll never have this freedom again and it will change him.”

 

“You think what you are doing is right? He’s better off assuming his responsibilities instead of messing around here,” the Prince said, snorting. “I didn’t think you were that much of a fool.”

 

“Zhao Ling Xian…there are some things even you don’t understand.”

 

Cui Xi stood with her back to him, completely forgetting her self-consciousness, and stared at the closed door with a complicated feeling. She relied on Xiao Hei so heavily and their interactions were very close, to the point that she thought of him as a brother. While she was aware of Xiao Hei’s weaknesses, he had grown up quite a bit in the last year. Like Zhao Ling Xian, she herself also hoped that she would not regret taking Xiao Hei in, and that he would not do something foolish just because he thought he needed to protect her. She admitted that she was acting selfishly, but besides Xiao Yu, she was all alone in this world and she didn’t want to lose Xiao Hei just yet.

 

“Now. Can you explain to this Prince what you are doing in here? It’s making my blood boil,” he said, brushing wet hair out of his eyes.

 

Suddenly becoming aware of him, Cui Xi noticed that his clothes were plastered to his body, emphasizing the hard muscles underneath. Steam drifted between them.

 

ACK! Why is his face so…but this is not the time to become one of those weak, mushy manhua heroines who gives way to forceful handsome heroes…Argh!

 

Still, she couldn’t help the thrill in her body as his hot gaze becoming mesmerizing.

 

Zhao Ling Xian walked forward, turning her body against him and slid a finger under her chin, tilting her face to look up at him. His eyes were filled with desire and his voice was rough with urgency. Although he was very gentle, she could feel the throb of his desire against her body, and he was trembling slightly.

 

“This Prince wants you,” he whispered into her ear. “Now.”

 

With her reason slamming back in place, Cui Xi smiled sweetly and then promptly shoved him as hard as she could. He stumbled backwards, off balance. With what dignity she had left, she gathered his robe around her and moved to the door.

 

“Black-hearted pervert! What are you doing peeping at a woman bathing in a private bathhouse?” she huffed and stalked out.

 

Ah well, I deserved that…

 

He sighed ruefully, still tasting blood in his mouth, but then smiled.

 

If she was well enough to lose her temper over his teasing, then the encounter with the Crown Prince had not damaged her spirit too badly. As much as he had wanted to hide her away, to protect her, and to keep her out of trouble, he recognized that his headstrong little cat would not suffer his interference. Up till now, he had been too arrogant and impatient with her. In the future, he would have to be very gentle and slowly show her his heart until she felt safe enough to let him in.

 

Raising a wild cat…I will have to coax her with some good things…