Chapter 904: An Unexpected Turn

“Are you sure?” Song Qingshu frowned slightly. Truth be told, he couldn’t quite figure out what Zhao Min was thinking.

“Are you coming over or not?” The faint mix of annoyance and anger in Zhao Min’s expression melted Song Qingshu’s heart, and he quickly moved closer with an eager grin.

“Bend down a little.” Seeing Song Qingshu standing beside the bathtub, looking down at her from above, Zhao Min’s cheeks flushed slightly. She pressed herself against the side of the tub, thankful for the thick layer of petals floating on the water—otherwise, he might have seen everything.

“You’re not actually going to k!ss me, are you?” Song Qingshu stared at her in disbelief, his eyes wide.

“Stop talking nonsense and bend down!” Zhao Min snapped.

Though he found the situation strange, Song Qingshu obediently crouched down. Just as he turned to say something to her, Zhao Min suddenly leaned in—her soft lips pressing firmly against his.

Song Qingshu froze, while Zhao Min recoiled as if shocked, her face a mix of embarrassment and anger. “Why did you turn your head all of a sudden?!” She had only intended to k!ss his cheek, but his sudden movement had led to their lips meeting instead.

Touching his lips, where the lingering fragrance of her k!ss remained, Song Qingshu smiled faintly. “You never said I couldn’t turn my head.”

“You scoundrel!” Zhao Min huffed and turned her face away. “Alright, now that the k!ss is done, you should keep your promise and let me go.”

“So the princess has already taken a liking to me?” Song Qingshu teased with a grin.

Zhao Min quickly retorted, “Don’t get the wrong idea! I was just maximizing my negotiating advantage. Compared to your outrageous demand of 200,000 taels of gold and a million taels of silver, a mere k!ss means nothing.”

Song Qingshu gazed at her tenderly. “But in my heart, no amount of gold or silver could ever compare to the sweetness of your k!ss.”

Zhao Min was momentarily stunned. Though she suspected he was just sweet-talking her, his words carried such sincerity that she couldn’t help but feel moved. Afraid he might see through her, she quickly pursed her lips. “I bet all the girls around you fall for this kind of honeyed words. Too bad I’m not that foolish.”

Song Qingshu chuckled but didn’t bother explaining further. “Whether you think I’m sincere or not, I keep my promises. You can leave soon.”

His decision wasn’t driven by lust at the expense of the Golden Serpent Camp. He had deeper considerations. Though the Golden Serpent Camp was in dire need of funds, he never truly intended to take money from the Mongols. His cause was to “expel the barbarians and restore the Central Plains’ glory.” If he were to engage in financial dealings with the Mongols, it would create a messy political liability—something his enemies could exploit to undermine his righteous stance. That would be a far greater loss.

His earlier outrageous demand had merely been to tease Zhao Min and see how she’d react. He never expected she would actually k!ss him.

Zhao Min remained silent, submerged in the water, lost in thought. Soon, the atmosphere in the room grew subtly charged.

“Did I miss something?” Gebi walked in with a stack of clean clothes, immediately sensing the odd tension in the air.

“N-Nothing!” Zhao Min stammered, flustered. “Thank you, sister.”

Gebi placed the clothes beside the tub and smiled gently. “You seem about my size, so I brought one of my own dresses. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course not…” Zhao Min thanked her again, then shot a glare at Song Qingshu, who was still standing there. “I need to get dressed. Do you plan on watching the whole time?”

Song Qingshu shrugged. “Go ahead. I don’t mind.” Noticing the identical looks of annoyance from both women, he quickly added, “Just kidding! I’ll step out.”

After waiting idly outside for a while, the door finally opened. Song Qingshu turned to see the two women standing side by side—each so breathtaking that he didn’t know where to look.

“Song Qingshu, I’m leaving.” Perhaps due to her recent bath, Zhao Min’s cheeks were tinged with a delicate blush, making her even more captivating.

“So soon? I was hoping you’d stay longer.” Song Qingshu feigned reluctance.

“Hmph, I’ve had enough of this place.” Remembering the dark days of her captivity, Zhao Min shuddered slightly. “I’m leaving now.”

With that, she smoothed her skirt and strode away confidently. After a few steps, seeing that Song Qingshu made no move to stop her, she paused and said, “Since you kept your word, I won’t be ungrateful. Starting today, I’ll withdraw my forces from the Jin Dynasty. This place is all yours.”

She had thought it through. Since Song Qingshu’s goal was also to destabilize the Jin Dynasty, there was little point in her staying. Besides, the Prince of Ruyang’s estate had urgent matters to attend to, and she couldn’t remain here indefinitely. It was better to give Song Qingshu this favor.

“Where are you going?” Song Qingshu was genuinely curious about Zhao Min’s elusive whereabouts.

“Since I’m unlucky enough to be poisoned with the Three Corpse Brain Holy Pill, and you won’t help me find the antidote, I’ll have to search for it myself.” Zhao Min sighed dramatically. “According to my intel, there are three possible locations where Murong Jingyue might be. Daxing Prefecture was one, but I found no leads here. Now I’ll have to check the other two.”

“Where are the other two?” Song Qingshu pressed. Though the next Dragon Boat Festival was still some time away, the poison in Zhao Min’s body was like the Sword of Damocles—a constant threat.

Zhao Min pressed her lips together and shook her head. “I can’t tell you now. Otherwise, there’ll be no surprise when we meet again.”

“Huh?” Song Qingshu was speechless.

Zhao Min waved at him, her figure gradually receding. Her laughter, light as silver bells, drifted through the air. “While you’re in the Jin Dynasty, keep an eye out for Murong Jingyue. I’m sure you don’t want me to die, do you? Hehe~”

Gebi sighed softly. “It seems your relationship with Miss Zhao is… unusual.”

“We’re something between friends and enemies.” Song Qingshu smiled, then pulled Gebi close by her slender waist, whispering in her ear, “But my relationship with her isn’t as ‘intimate’ as ours. You know what I mean…”

Gebi’s face flushed crimson, and she responded with a flurry of playful punches.

*****

However, shortly afterward, an earth-shattering event shook the court.

A soldier named Sun Jin, from the Henan region, proclaimed himself “Imperial Younger Brother, the Great King Anchá”—and launched a rebellion.