Clearly, this person didn’t understand the concept of knowing when to stop. He buried his head in the crook of her neck and whispered softly in her ear, “What fragrance does the princess use?”
A rush of warmth cascaded down her neck, causing her to shudder involuntarily. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed passersby seemingly observing the couple embracing on the street. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, she said, “Let go, this palace wants to go back.”
Seemingly aware of her embarrassment, he didn’t persist too much this time. Instead, he calmly said, “Then let’s go.”
She glanced at him and pursed her lips, “This palace hasn’t said it wants to accept you yet. Don’t assume things.”
He paused for a moment, lowered his gaze to look at her for a while, and then revealed a nonchalant smile. He slightly leaned forward and said to her, “Then how can the princess accept me?”
Su Qiuge’s gaze scanned the surroundings and suddenly caught sight of an event happening not far away, near a restaurant. A group of people was competing for something at the very top—it was an exquisitely crafted lotus lantern, obviously of considerable value.
She pointed at the lotus lantern and said, “Go get that for me.”
Glancing at the situation, he understood roughly and said calmly, “Wait for me.” Soon after, Su Qiuge saw him joining the group of people.
His crimson attire fluttered with each movement, resembling a fiery red-winged butterfly, gracefully landing among the crowd and easily surpassing everyone else. Those people seemed to realize his skill and attempted to join forces against him, but they couldn’t even touch the hem of his garment.
Observing those people falling behind, Su Qiuge believed it was only a matter of time before he obtained the lantern. However, it was also a precious opportunity for her to distance herself from him.
With this in mind, she briskly walked towards the distance. However, before she could take two steps, she felt a cold gust of wind sweeping behind her. Then, a splendid crimson hem whisked past the corner of her eye.
Amidst the swirling fabric, she caught sight of a lifelike lotus lantern, intricately carved with unique patterns on each side, and even delicate tendrils could be seen upon closer inspection. The hand holding the lantern had distinct joints resembling jade, making it more like a work of art than the lantern itself.
The lantern’s light accentuated the person’s refined features, appearing as if a delicate ink painting had unfurled. In that moment, she heard her own heartbeat clearly. He raised an eyebrow slightly and said, “Here it is.”
Then, his gaze fell upon her, choosing not to mention her previous action that seemed like she wanted to leave him behind. Instead, he raised his eyebrows and asked, “Now—do I have the qualification to serve the princess?”
Su Qiuge hadn’t expected that despite all the twists and turns, she still ended up bringing him back to the palace. The anxious guards, who couldn’t find her anywhere, breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing her return. However, as soon as they entered the palace doors, they were met with an overwhelming fragrance of cosmetics, followed by a room filled with weeping and sobbing men clutching handkerchiefs, their tear-filled eyes immediately rushing toward her.
“Princess, I heard that assassins came from over there. Are you injured, princess?”
“Fortunately, princess is unharmed, sob sob, otherwise, this servant would have hanged himself.”
“Princess, princess…”
Su Qiuge looked at the room filled with these flatterers and, at that moment, never felt so tormented by the presence of men. Especially when she sensed the temperature behind her suddenly dropping as his gaze settled on her back. He leaned closer, almost biting her earlobe, and said with a sly smile, “Such liveliness, comparable to the three thousand beauties of the harem… Which one does the princess plan to favor tonight?”
Although his tone was indifferent and carried a hint of a smile, Su Qiuge felt that if she were to respond with a statement about which one she wanted to favor, it would likely result in a dagger being plunged into her.
Thinking of this, Su Qiuge shivered slightly and cleared her throat. She addressed the male favorites who were pouncing on her like wolves, “I’m fine, all of you can step back for now.”
However, whether it was due to her excessively gentle attitude or for some other reason, these male favorites instead intensified their whining and surrounded her. Su Qiuge noticed that the gaze behind her turned even colder, now resting on the hand of one male favorite who was grabbing her sleeve.
She suddenly wondered if these people were not accustomed to her being so gentle. With a cold expression on her face, she directly pulled her sleeve out of that person’s grasp and calmly uttered a single word, “Leave!”
Indeed, this move was more effective than any persuasion. The men, who were crying and vowing to live or die together just a moment ago, quickly retreated with their tails between their legs.
After the pungent fragrance of cosmetics dissipated, Su Qiuge breathed a sigh of relief and called for a palace maid. “Find a suitable day to dismiss all these hindrances and distribute some silver and wealth to each of them.”
The palace maid looked astonished and said, “But, princess, if it’s done this way, who will serve…”
Before she could finish her sentence, she suddenly felt a chilling gaze fall upon her. She trembled and turned to meet Xie Xinglin’s eyes, then swallowed the rest of her words and nodded repeatedly, “Yes, understood.”
She hurriedly left the hall as if escaping, taking small steps while thinking to herself—
This Xie gentleman is no different from those enchanting concubines, good-looking enough to make the princess dismiss everyone in the harem and favor only him.
Meanwhile, Su Qiuge, who had already dismissed the crowd, breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at him. “Are you feeling better now?”
He raised an eyebrow slightly, using it as an opportunity to draw closer to her. Slowly, he said, “After I get better, will the princess chase me away?”
Su Qiuge remained silent. While his voice was clear and smooth, she couldn’t shake off the feeling that he carried a hint of seductiveness when he spoke, as if it lingered on her ears.
Seeing her silent, he lowered his gaze and continued in a leisurely manner, “But now, many people know that I belong to the princess. If the princess does this, can you truly bear it?”
If someone else were to say these words, it would have carried a pitiful tone. However, his expression showed no ripples whatsoever. Instead, Su Qiuge felt that if she were to refuse him at this moment, it would appear unforgivable and ignorant of what is good for her.
Su Qiuge took a deep breath and averted her gaze, attempting to change the subject. “It’s not like that…”
However, before she could finish her sentence, he captured her chin and pressed it against a pillar in the hall.
The corners of his eyes slightly lifted, his eyes shimmering with a dark light. He lightly caressed her chin with his hand, expressionless as he spoke, “Princess, you just said that if I retrieve the lantern for you, you would accept me. Do you intend to go back on your word?”
Without waiting for her response, he leaned closer, looking down at her from a higher position, trapping her within this small area. His tone was both ambiguous and eerie as he whispered, “Princess, would you like to know… the fate of those treacherous men who break their promises?”
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