I woke up as the Villainous Empress

"It's alright, Yang Ning! There will be other maids present. You don't need to be so anxious," Yang Ning murmured to herself, taking a deep breath and reluctantly following Zheng Liang to the bathhouse.

Even though she had promised to assist him with his bath, it wasn't as if she was going to actually bathe him. Her role was simply to ensure that all the necessary arrangements were in place and that she could discreetly leave once he immersed himself in the water.

She was doing all of this solely to keep him preoccupied, preventing him from dwelling any further on the girl who had caused a scene at the market that afternoon.

___

Upon reaching the bathhouse, Yang Ning noticed the maids diligently preparing for Zheng Liang's bath.

She felt a sense of relief upon realizing that she wasn't alone there. Not only were there maids, but there were also guards stationed in the corridor.

Seeing the maids and guards bustling around the residence brought her an unexpected wave of happiness. Just as she started to believe that everything would proceed smoothly, she witnessed all the maids and guards abruptly leaving the area.

Frowning, she approached Zheng Liang, who had been conversing with the maids earlier. "Why are the maids leaving? Weren't they supposed to assist you with the bath?" she asked, her voice tinged with confusion.

Only a while ago, there had been numerous maids attending to different tasks—some holding his clothes, others offering towels, and a few preparing the bathwater and bath scrub powder for him.

Zheng Liang cast a casual glance at her, his eyes carrying a hint of amusement. "I asked them to leave. Since they have nothing to do, there was no reason for them to stay here," he replied, his voice carrying an air of nonchalance.

"Ah? But... weren't they supposed to assist you in the bath?" she pressed, her brows furrowing as she sought further clarification from him.

Meeting her gaze, Zheng Liang stated matter-of-factly, his tone almost mattering in its simplicity, "Didn't you say you wanted to give me a bath? Isn't that why you followed me here?"

Her confusion deepened, her mind struggling to make sense of the situation. "I wanted to give you a bath?" she repeated, her voice tinged with disbelief. The notion seemed absurd, as it was he who had made the request in the first place.

Nodding slightly, Zheng Liang continued. "Hmm. Since you mentioned wanting to walk around to aid digestion after dinner, you thought it would be beneficial." His words hung in the air, filling the space between them with a strange tension.

Realization dawned upon her, mingled with a sense of frustration. "Oh….So….Since I was supposed to give you a bath, you believed there was no need for the other maids to stand idly by. That's why you asked them to retire to bed early," she summarized, her voice laced with a mix of confusion and realization.

His actions, though peculiar, were veiled under the guise of consideration for his servants.

"That's right!" He said casually.

As silence settled between them, Yang Ning grappled with her thoughts. Had she truly wanted to give him a bath, or had she unwittingly stumbled into a web of intricate and confusing words spun by this crazy man? The uncertainty lingered, adding another layer of intrigue to their peculiar encounter.

___

Before she knew it, Yang Ning had followed him inside the bathhouse as the guards and maids abandoned their posts, leaving the corridors empty and isolated.

Standing there, she gazed emptily at the water-filled bathtub, her mind clouded with uncertainty. Why had she come in? What was she supposed to do here?

Her eyes scanned the surroundings and noticed that the maids had already prepared the bath scrub powder and laid out a fresh pair of his night pajamas. What purpose could she serve now?

"Um... The maids have already taken care of everything. There's not much for me to do here," she nervously chuckled, continuing, "Actually, I feel much better now. It seems I have already digested the dinner I had earlier."

She forced a laugh and added, "I... I should probably leave. I'll return to my chamber and prepare for tomorrow's visit to the market." She tried to slip away from the situation, longing for an escape.

Just as she turned to leave, she bumped into a bare-muscled chest. Shock widened her eyes, and her body teetered on the edge of falling backward. In that vulnerable moment, the man reached out, his strong grip encircling her waist, preventing her from stumbling and sparing her from further embarrassment.

"Careful! You would have fallen just now if not for me," Zheng Liang scolded her in a voice laced with low, husky tones, his hand naturally resting on her waist.

Yang Ning's cheeks flushed, and she blinked at the man in confusion. Wait, who had startled her? And why was he suddenly so close? Her mind raced with questions.

Moreover, when had he even removed his upper robe? She wondered, her eyes darting to the towering door behind him. When had he locked it from inside?

___

Yang Ning swallowed nervously, feeling the heat radiating from his body. The closed doors and their close proximity muddled her thoughts, leaving her unsure of how to proceed.

She gently pushed him away and cleared her throat before speaking, "You should take your bath now... Then I'll leave." Her words rushed out, her voice filled with a hint of urgency, desperate to escape the tension of the moment.

But just as she was about to make her retreat, he interrupted her with an amused and dominant tone. "If you leave now, who will scrub my body?"

"Because of you, I sent the maids away," Zheng Liang added, turning to face her. He posed the question, leaving her to ponder the answer.

Trying to find a way out, Yang Ning quickly responded, frustration evident in her voice, "I can call the maids back to help you with your bath." She hoped for a simple solution that would allow her to escape this overwhelming encounter.

He smirked, seemingly entertained by her attempts to avoid the situation. "That won't do. I specifically told everyone to go to sleep. If you wake them up now, it would be disrespectful to my orders."

Yang Ning furrowed her brow, questioning the seriousness of the issue internally. However, she refrained from voicing her thoughts, taking a deep breath before expressing her helplessness. "Then what do you expect me to do? It's not like I can scrub your body," she blurted out in frustration.

Without hesitation, he revealed his intentions straightforwardly. "That's exactly what I want you to do," he stated, leaving her taken aback and at a loss for words.

"What?" she exclaimed, her voice a mix of surprise and uncertainty.