A Name in the Steam

Holding the boneless-soft body in his arms, Wen Xiaoran’s entire body went rigid.

He felt that strange sensation rise again in his chest.

This time it was no longer unfamiliar.

It surged, threatening to overflow.

It was something he had long yearned for, yet had never once experienced—tenderness.

Yan Yi’s arms were going numb from how tightly he held her.

She cautiously shifted, but could not break free from his restraint.

She could only whisper, “Your Excellency—”

Wen Xiaoran seemed to wake from a dream.

His jade-like face flickered with an almost unnatural liveliness.

His gaze lingered on her for a moment before he hurriedly released his grip.

Unprepared, Yan Yi dropped with a splash back into the medicinal bath.

She choked on a few mouthfuls of water.

Flustered, she paddled to the edge and clung to the stone ledge.

Wiping the herbal liquid from her face, she looked utterly miserable.

How many baths was she supposed to take in one day?

She was practically marinated.

“Your Excellency, why did you push me?”

She pressed her lips together.

Her clear eyes brimmed with confusion and fear.

She looked pitiful beyond words.

Wen Xiaoran did not answer.

Instead, he asked, “What is your name?”

“Huh?”

Perhaps she had swallowed too much bathwater.

Yan Yi’s mind felt sluggish.

“Your name.”

“Oh—”

The original novel had never mentioned the cannon-fodder canary’s real name.

The author had only ever referred to her as “the canary.”

So she answered truthfully with her real-world name.

“Yan Yi.”

Wen Xiaoran tapped his fingers lightly against the table.

He seemed to be thinking.

After a long while, he looked back at her with faint curiosity.

“Which characters? What meaning?”

Half her body was still soaking in the bath.

She felt cold and uncomfortable.

Was the villain checking household registration?

Seeing her silent for too long, Wen Xiaoran urged, “You have no name?”

Yan Yi swallowed her retort.

“The Yan of Yanjing.

The Yi from ‘qingyi’—”

She abruptly realized something and quickly corrected herself.

“The Yi meaning ease and freedom.

My parents hoped I would live unrestrained.”

Unrestrained.

Wen Xiaoran gave a silent smile.

Soon his expression returned to its usual indifference.

He stood and walked out.

Yan Yi scrambled out of the pool and hurried after him, shoes dripping in her hands.

She still had not located the medicinal storage.

“Your Excellency—”

She was exhausted.

Her legs felt weak.

Before she could finish speaking, he stopped and instructed, “Write down the herbs you require.

I will have them prepared and delivered to your room.”

That would not do.

Her mind raced.

“Your Excellency, please allow me to visit the herb storage myself.

I worry others may fetch the wrong ingredients.”

Wen Xiaoran turned and frowned.

“Do you think my subordinates incompetent?”

He continued coldly, “Wen Feng handles matters carefully.

He has never erred.”

Yan Yi quickly denied it.

“My master’s formula for calming incense is a family secret.

I fear others may steal it.”

Wen Xiaoran fell silent.

His gaze on her was complicated.

She lowered her head, growing more uneasy by the second.

At last, he said, “Follow me.”

She was merely a mortal physician.

Short-sighted and timid.

No one in the demon realm would covet such crude mortal techniques.

He nearly laughed.

After selecting what she needed, Yan Yi dragged a sack nearly half her height back to her quarters.

After bathing again, she began preparing the necessary incense blends.

By dusk, the sky burned crimson.

She finally lifted her head from the mountain of herbs and stretched in satisfaction.

The tabby cat leapt from the bed and into her arms.

It rubbed affectionately against her neck.

“Hungry, Xiao Li?”

As she stepped toward the door, a specially crafted letter dropped before her.

It must be a reply from her childhood cousin—the novel’s male lead, Su Can.

She peeked outside first.

Seeing no one watching, she closed the door and opened the letter.

It was long.

Line after line of polite greetings.

He expressed joy upon receiving her letter.

Relief knowing she was safe.

Then two full pages praising the cat paw seal stamped at the bottom.

He lavished endless compliments upon it.

In the end, he emphasized how adorable the paw print was.

He hoped she would write again and include it.

Yan Yi blinked in confusion.

Was he more interested in the cat than her?

In the original story, Su Can had been a cultivation prodigy.

Upon learning of his cousin’s tragic death at the hands of the Demon Lord, he stormed the demon realm for revenge.

Along the way, he encountered countless romantic entanglements.

Noble ladies.

A beautiful ghost queen.

A seductive fox spirit.

A cold immortal sovereign.

He eventually became the archetypal harem protagonist.

Was it her death that awakened that hidden desire?

Before she could dwell on it further, the cat’s fur suddenly bristled.

A series of hurried footsteps approached.

The door was pounded violently.

Yan Yi’s hands trembled.

The letter fell.

She kicked it under the bed.

After taking a steadying breath, she opened the door.

“Your Excellency?”

Wen Xiaoran stood with hands clasped behind his back.

More than ten demon guards stood behind him.

Wen Feng smiled gently.

“Miss, have you seen anyone suspicious?”

She shook her head.

“No.”

Wen Feng glanced past her shoulder at the chaotic room.

“What are you busy with?”

“I—I am blending calming incense.”

Wen Xiaoran brushed past her into the room.

She hurried after him.

“Your Excellency, it is messy—”

Too late.

He was already inside.

“It is indeed messy.”

His gaze sharpened on her face.

She felt her heart race uncontrollably.

“What is that scent?”

“The fragrance of herbs.”

He did not waste words.

“You used a talisman.

Who did you contact?”

“My family.

To assure them of my safety.”

“You have family?”

“My parents travel afar.

Only a cousin remains at home.”

“The letter.”

She retrieved it from beneath the bed.

He scanned it quickly.

With a spell, he restored her original message as well.

It was harmless.

He returned the letter.

She barely exhaled before he asked, “Aside from calming incense, what else have you blended?”

Her legs nearly gave out.

“Just ordinary fragrance blends.”

“Explain.”

He seated himself by the window, unhurried.

She forced herself to remain calm.

“They are simply scents that make one’s body emit fragrance.”

The guards outside murmured.

Wen Xiaoran’s gaze chilled them into silence.

“For personal use?”

Yan Yi’s mind spun.

She twisted her sleeve nervously.

“For personal use.”