Chapter 37: Staying as a Guest

It was the early hours of an August morning in the capital. The wind still carried a chill. Shang Moting and Lin Ting stood by the doorway, letting the cool breeze wash over them.

Lin Ting glanced at Shang Moting’s grim expression and decided that perhaps tonight was not the best time to overstay her welcome. "Actually... I will never say a word about what happened tonight. Your reputation is safe with me! I’ll be going now. Until we meet again."

She turned to leave, but Shang Moting grabbed her arm.

Lin Ting paused and looked back at him. Before she could process his intentions, he leaned down and scooped her up into his arms.

"?" Lin Ting blinked.

Shang Moting carried her back into the living room. When he set her down on the sofa, she was still feeling a bit dazed. He walked away immediately after, leaving her sitting on the couch, not daring to move.

Her eyes darted around, scanning the surroundings. Shang Moting’s home was filled with hidden mechanisms. She couldn't help but wonder if there was a crossbow aimed at her from somewhere in the distance, ready to pierce her the moment she twitched.

Just as these thoughts crossed her mind, Shang Moting returned, carrying a small medical kit. The immediate danger had passed. He placed the kit on the coffee table and sat down beside her. "Let me see your leg."

Lin Ting looked down at her leg but didn't move. "It's nothing."

Shang Moting reached out, grabbed her ankle, and rested her leg on his own. Lin Ting adjusted her sitting position, still feeling a bit bewildered. To keep a low profile, she had dressed entirely in black today. Her trousers were torn, though it was hard to tell at first glance. Once she rolled up the hem, a long, noticeable wound was revealed on her calf.

Lin Ting noticed Shang Moting’s expression darken further. "Your garden fence looks lovely, but it’s actually quite dangerous."

Shang Moting didn't reply; he simply reached for a cotton swab in the kit. "You were howling when you bumped your head on my back, but now that you're actually hurt, you don't make a sound." His voice was cold.

Lin Ting looked at him but stayed silent. He used the swab to wipe away the blood around the edges; the wound wasn't deep. "Isn't this a perfect excuse for you to stay the night now?"

Lin Ting examined the wound, then scooted closer to him, looking pitiful. "I only keep trying to stay because I have nowhere else to go."

Shang Moting glanced at her before disinfecting the wound. "If I had left just now, I would have had to sleep under a bridge tonight," she added. As she spoke, she tugged on his bathrobe, pretending to wipe away tears. In the process, she managed to pull open the tightly wrapped collar of his robe.

Shang Moting was too busy disinfecting the wound to notice his collar. Realizing she could get away with it, Lin Ting made a more dramatic show of wiping her tears. Suddenly, the stinging sensation from the disinfectant hit her, and she nearly shed real tears. She widened her eyes, looking first at her wound, then at him, before finally grabbing his robe and resting her head on his shoulder. "Shang Moting."