FBC – Chapter 106 Using Her Looks to Seduce Him

Gu Hua snuck a glance at him. She couldn’t read his expression and didn’t know if he was angry at her for being overly sentimental.

After all, it had always been her who took the initiative to please him before.

But after surviving this ordeal, Gu Hua had lost the courage to continue using her body in exchange for a better future.

A deep-rooted pride within her now rejected that shameless behavior.

During the hardest times, she had thought a lot.

Mu Junyan was a dignified and upright man, frank and open with others. The way she had used him, deliberately stirred his feelings—she felt not only ashamed but also guilty.

Another thing that troubled her was: how would she face her biological mother?

What’s more, if she really followed him back to the Duke Yong’s manor and became his concubine, would her mother feel humiliated because of her?

Sometimes, she even felt that the heavens gave her one tribulation after another just so she wouldn’t have to keep suffering in this world.

“Open your mouth.”

Lost in her tangled thoughts, Gu Hua was startled by the calm voice.

Only then did she notice a spoonful of warm porridge already held in front of her.

Startled and flustered, she looked up at him, feeling as if she was being overly favored: “My lord, I—I can feed myself.”

Mu Junyan looked at her flushed face. “Alright.”

He placed the bowl on a wooden stool a foot away by the edge of the pool, then sat down cross-legged like a general, quietly watching her.

Gu Hua: “…”

At that moment, she shrank shyly against the side of the pool.

If she wanted to feed herself, she’d have to lift both arms out of the water…

Watching her struggle silently, Mu Junyan was a bit helpless. The thoughts of a young lady were indeed twisty and roundabout.

“At this hour, I can’t call anyone to bring you clean undergarments and a skirt. You can’t come out wearing those wet clothes—you’ll catch a chill.”

Gu Hua’s face turned even redder.

He was blaming her.

“Take them off. I’ll dry them for you.”

Gu Hua lowered her head even more, completely at a loss.

The previous times they had been physically intimate were all under special circumstances—dim lighting, secluded spaces. But now, it was open all around. Four flying goose-shaped lamps, fueled by who-knows-what kind of oil, lit up the entire hot spring pool with clarity.

“The sulfur in the spring water will weaken your body if you stay in too long.”

Mu Junyan couldn’t help but remind her.

Gu Hua knew he truly meant well. After some mental preparation, she sank her body deeper into the water and began quietly moving her limbs.

Once she had taken everything off, she balled up her damp underclothes in her hands. Holding them up was awkward—not lifting them was awkward too.

Mu Junyan let out a silent sigh.

She was still young and shy.

He reached out and took the bundle from her hands. Gu Hua was so embarrassed that she lowered her head even further. All she could hear was the soft dripping of water—and her own heart pounding wildly.

She heard Mu Junyan’s footsteps and sneaked a glance.

Not far away, a charcoal brazier was lit, with a clothes rack beside it. He carefully spread her underclothes out on the rack and then moved it closer to the brazier.

Her inner garments were made of real silk. Once soaked, they clung together in a wrinkled mess.

There was embroidery on the chest of the undershirt, which was now even more creased. He leaned in and carefully smoothed it out.

The panties were larger and harder to manage, but the man patiently straightened them out bit by bit.

Gu Hua was so embarrassed she could barely breathe.

In both her lives, she had never had a man handle her underwear like this.

Mu Junyan returned and sat down again on the wooden stool by the pool. He touched the bowl to test its warmth. “If you don’t eat soon, it’ll get cold.”

Gu Hua looked up nervously. It seemed she had no choice but to eat now.

Completely bare, she had no choice but to let him feed her.

He scooped up a spoonful and brought it to her lips. His gaze was calm, without a trace of inappropriate thoughts.

Gu Hua realized she had been overthinking it.

She obediently opened her mouth.

She had always been someone who knew when to obey.

In her past life, she obeyed to survive. In this life, she obeyed in order to break free from the fate of her previous life.

And she knew how to appreciate kindness.

At the very least, the kindness Mu Junyan showed her—even if it stemmed from nothing more than fleeting affection born of physical pleasure—was a kind of care she had never received in either life.

The vast hot spring pool was shrouded in white mist, wrapping around the beautiful woman soaking in the water. On the shore, a tall man sat upright.

One fed, the other ate. Neither of them said a single word.

Mu Junyan had never served anyone before, let alone a delicate little girl.

The spoon was small, and it felt awkward in his large palm.

The girl’s mouth was also small, so he had to carefully gauge the amount and angle, as well as the height, to make sure it wasn’t difficult for her to eat.

By the time he finished feeding her the small bowl of congee, his back was already drenched in sweat—though he wasn’t sure if it was from the hot spring steam or the act itself.

Gu Hua stretched her neck out as far as she could, trying to make it easier for the Duke.

But for some reason, the same Duke who wielded his sword with swift, precise, and ruthless strikes, now trembled slightly holding a tiny spoon.

Did he just hit her teeth?

The sound of the silver spoon tapping against her teeth made her blush. She quickly pouted her lips and covered the spoon with them, preventing her teeth from clinking against it again.

After just a few mouthfuls, sweat beaded on her forehead.

…It must be the water—too hot.

Her neck was sore, and though her stomach wasn’t full, she wasn’t hungry anymore. She felt her strength gradually returning.

“My Lord, I won’t eat anymore.”

Mu Junyan paused mid-motion, then put the spoon into his own mouth and quickly finished the remaining congee.

Gu Hua stared at him in disbelief.

He actually ate what she had left behind?

Her eyes dropped to his clothes, which were also stained with blood. Her nose tingled with a sudden ache.

“My Lord, you’re hurt too.”

Mu Junyan set down the bowl. “It’s nothing. Just minor scrapes.”

He stood and walked to the brazier. Touching the small garments hanging to dry, he found the fine silk underclothes were nearly dry.

“Wait a little longer.”

Gu Hua nodded obediently and shrank back into the water, pressing herself against the edge of the pool.

Mu Junyan looked at her. “I want to soak too.”

Gu Hua: “…!”

This was his hot spring pool. What right did she have to say no?

She looked back at the water. A layer of mist hovered over the surface, but if he came closer, her body beneath the water would be clearly visible.

Mu Junyan noticed her hesitation and pointed to the opposite side. “I’ll go over there.”

Gu Hua’s face turned red. “I wasn’t…”

Before she could finish, the man grabbed a towel and clean robe and strode to the other end of the pool.

Gu Hua quickly lowered her head, not daring to look.

Mu Junyan removed his clothes and entered the pool, sitting on the underwater steps. His muscular arms rested on the edge as he closed his eyes to rest.

Gu Hua kept her back to him, not daring to turn around. When no sound came for a while, curiosity got the better of her, and she peeked over her shoulder.

Seeing the man with his eyes closed, she wondered if she was being too sensitive and making Mu Junyan feel awkward.

At this distance, he probably couldn’t see her body clearly.

Gu Hua bit her lip and slowly turned around, sitting on the underwater step just like him. She curled her legs up and hugged them with her arms.

Her eyes stared straight at him.

Mu Junyan’s half-closed eyes noticed her subtle movements but made no reaction.

After a cup of tea’s time, he suddenly stood up.

Gu Hua froze, forgetting to avert her gaze, staring directly at the tall, well-built figure across from her.

Mu Junyan’s eyes darkened slightly as he turned and climbed the steps out of the pool.

Droplets of water slid down the powerful lines of his back, flowing from broad shoulders to narrow waist, gathering and rolling down between firm glutes, and then down his legs.

Two long scars marked his back. They didn’t mar the perfection of his physique—instead, they added a rugged allure.

It was the first time Gu Hua had ever seen such a breathtaking male form in its entirety.

If this man weren’t Mu Junyan, she would’ve thought he was trying to… seduce her.

Her heart thumped wildly in her chest.

Instinctively, she pressed a hand over it, afraid it might leap out.

Mu Junyan took his time drying off, then put on a white night robe, loosely tying the sash.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the little girl sitting there with her mouth slightly open, looking dazed.

The corners of his lips curled into a smile, which he quickly suppressed.

He walked straight to the brazier and touched the clothes—they were dry.

He picked up the little garments and walked to the edge of the pool.

“Time to get out.”

Gu Hua snapped back to reality, her face flushed crimson.

“Yes, time to get out. It’s too hot.”

She quickly removed the hand from her chest and used it to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

Unfortunately, it was her injured hand. After soaking in the water for so long, blood began trickling down her arm, staining half her face.

Her cheeks burned as if on fire. She was so flustered, she didn’t even notice the pain anymore.