I slip through the bamboo curtains, heart pounding. The steam-filled room hides my presence for a split second before He Li turns, surprise evident on his face as he sits in the wooden tub. Water droplets cling to his pale shoulders, and his hair is gathered in a messy topknot that leaves his beautiful neck exposed.

"What are you doing here?" he asks, voice catching as he takes in my disheveled appearance from sneaking through camp.

Before I can answer, footsteps approach outside. Panic flashes across both our faces. Without thinking, I dart behind the silk screen just as the door bursts open. Through the gauzy fabric, I watch He Li compose himself, his expression shifting from surprise to annoyance as he faces the intruders.

The guards stammer apologies for interrupting his bath, but I can see the tension in He Li's shoulders. When they finally leave, he turns toward the screen, eyes dark with a mixture of anger and desire.

"You're going to be the death of me," he says, but there's no real rebuke in his voice as he steps from the bath, water cascading down his lean body.

He approaches slowly, every step bringing him closer to where I'm trapped between the screen and the wall. When he reaches me, he doesn't speak—just places one hand on the wall beside my head and leans in, his body pressing against mine through the thin fabric. The scent of his skin and the steam surrounds me completely.

"Do you have any idea what you risked coming here?" he whispers, his lips almost touching my ear.