Flashback - Her death (1)

Bai Yue's eyes closed against her will, the thin membrane as heavy as lead. The crackling of the brazier filled the air and she could feel its heat against her back, engulfing her into a warm cocoon. Although a bed would have been more comfortable, she couldn't find the strength nor the will to move a single toe. She was simply too tired.

She breathed in and Ji Mo Yuan's cinnamon scent swirled around her nose. The more she smelled it, the more tantalizing it became. How did this man manage to always smell like this? She couldn't understand.

"Shouldn't you go back to your room?" Ji Mo Yuan asked just when her mind was sinking deeper into the night's embrace.

Her eyes fluttered open, the sight before her blurry. She wrinkled her nose and mumbled in response, "You are supposed to keep me awake all night."

"Ah…" He let out a low chuckle and placed his hands behind his head, using them as a cheap cushion. "I am not doing a good job, am I?"