Henry Blake frowned and was about to check outside the door, but just as he turned around, a voice sounded beside him:

"Close the door."

The voice was rather light and clear, with the standard tone of a mature woman—slightly cold, yet naturally carrying a hint of allure.

It also sounded somewhat familiar, as if it belonged to the elder woman among the two martial women from this morning.

Henry Blake suddenly understood, and instinctively stopped in his tracks. But as he realized what was happening, his brows furrowed again:

"Are you a fugitive?"

The young woman's peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze perfectly calm:

"I'm expelling poison, not unable to move, just unwilling to risk injury. Go distract the officers, and I will reward you handsomely afterward."

Henry Blake asked, "What crime did you commit to be pursued by the authorities?"

Tap tap...

The footsteps in the alley were getting closer and closer.

The young woman hesitated briefly, then spoke: "I am a righteous person, I came to the capital only to save someone. Help me get rid of them, and I will teach you martial arts."

Henry Blake considered for a moment—if she could attract a police search, she had clearly committed a crime, and harboring a criminal was no small offense...

But just as he was about to move, the young woman reached out her fair right hand from under her cloak, flicked her fingers, and two copper coins shot out.

Whoosh whoosh—

One struck the door, the other bounced off the wall and also hit the door, actually closing it.

!

Henry Blake's heart sank—her technique and strength were so precise, her martial arts unfathomable. If she could flick copper coins to close a door, she could certainly use hidden weapons to kill.

If he pushed this woman too far, the two officers outside would most likely die on the spot, and whether he could escape unscathed was uncertain...

While he hesitated, the footsteps in the alley suddenly stopped. It seemed the constables were experienced and had quietly halted, sneaking toward the courtyard.

The young woman looked at Henry Blake, her tone still calm:

"I don't want to kill innocents, but if they come in, they will surely die. My daughter is still outside. If too much commotion brings more officers and I get caught, she will definitely come looking for revenge on you when she returns. Think carefully."

Hearing this, Henry Blake remembered that the young woman had an accomplice—this was troublesome.

Tap tap—

In the blink of an eye, there was a faint sound from the roof of the courtyard house, suggesting the officers had no intention of knocking.

That being the case, there was no chance to create a diversion and lure the officers away.

Seeing that exposure was imminent, the young woman frowned slightly, apparently preparing to get up and face the enemy.

If the two constables came in, they would most likely die, and Henry Blake would also be implicated. After weighing the situation, he spoke:

"Don't be rash. I'll help you distract the officers, and you teach me martial arts for free. How about it?"

The young woman's gaze flickered, and after only a moment's thought, she nodded:

"I'll teach you one move... you!"

As soon as she spoke, the young woman was startled to find that the stunningly handsome young man before her had suddenly pulled off his outer robe and lunged at her! He pinned her down on the bed and pulled the quilt over them.

?!

A flush of shame and anger appeared on the beautiful woman's cheeks. She realized what Henry Blake intended to do to cover for her, but she had no intention of cooperating and cried out anxiously:

"Young hero, wait—"

Whoosh—

Before she could finish, Henry Blake yanked off the cloak tightly wrapped around her, revealing a pale blue, form-fitting long dress.

The young woman hadn't expected Henry Blake to move so quickly. Before she could react, his solid male body pressed down on her, pinning her completely, making it hard to breathe, while the thin gray quilt covered them both.

Huff—

"You little scoundrel!"

The young woman's face instantly turned bright red.

Henry Blake was only putting on an act, but as he actually pressed down on the woman, he was startled to realize she was extraordinary.

Even through the clothes, he could clearly feel the perfect fullness of her body, her skin smooth as jade, cool and delicate, like a flawless, fragile piece of art.

Henry Blake had no intention of taking advantage, doing his best to support his weight and avoid contact, so as not to embarrass her. He covered them both with the quilt, then began shaking the bed, giving her a meaningful look.

Creak creak—

But to Henry Blake's surprise, the woman so close to him, though clearly understanding his intent and facing imminent danger, refused to cooperate at all. Instead, she put on the look of a 'humiliated heroine,' glared at him fiercely, and even tried to push him away.

?

What's wrong with you?

I'm not even taking advantage of you!

Henry Blake had no way out now. He was risking himself to help, yet this woman was so uncooperative. Naturally, he grew anxious. In his frustration, he gritted his teeth and grabbed the small watermelon that had spread slightly due to her lying flat, giving it a firm squeeze.

It felt soft and smooth in his hand, almost too much to hold with one hand.

Caught off guard, the woman shuddered violently, her eyes filled with shame and anger turning to shock, and she let out a panicked, low cry:

"Ah~!"

The approaching footsteps outside the door also suddenly halted.

Henry Blake breathed a sigh of relief, glared at the mortified woman, signaling her to keep making noise, then said:

"Is your husband amazing? Hmm?"

But to Henry Blake's despair, a flush spread across the woman's cheeks, her eyes even glistening with tears. She stared at him, weakly prying at his fingers, biting her lip but refusing to make a sound.

Seeing this, Henry Blake wanted to just throw her out, but since the act had begun, there was no turning back or explaining to the officers. No matter how annoyed he was, he had to continue, so he kept shaking the old bed, performing a one-man show:

"Not enough for you? Let your husband show you something rougher..."