Qiao Xi understood that what Su Heting really wanted to ask was whether she had slept with a man.
He was indeed bothered by what happened on their wedding night.
After a moment of silence, Qiao Xi spoke, "Yes."
The Crown Prince was her betrothed; they had grown up together, and she had feelings for him—this was fact.
They had never done anything improper. As for explaining this, Qiao Xi felt that saying even one extra word would be an insult to the Crown Prince.
How could a man of such propriety and integrity have done anything to her before marriage?
But how she had lost her virginity, she did not know, and the suspicions in her heart—Su Heting might not believe them either.
During the years Su Heting had raised Qiao Xi, he had protected her so carefully that she had never suffered the slightest mishap. But he could not be certain what experiences Qiao Xi had gone through after his death.
These past few days, that pure white handkerchief and the Emperor's words had left him unbearably agitated.
He disliked being controlled by such emotions, so he could not be bothered to guess and simply asked Qiao Xi directly.
Now that he had Qiao Xi's answer, he felt even more irritated.
What the Emperor said was true—Qiao Xi did have someone else in her heart, which was why she had been so heartless toward him.
Wrapping his arm around Qiao Xi's waist, Su Heting said viciously, "Now you are this prince's wife. You are not permitted to have any further entanglement with him."
At least for these nine months, he absolutely would not allow it.
"He's dead."
Su Heting was slightly stunned, then it dawned on him.
"Because of him, you turned against the Emperor?"
Qiao Xi did not deny it.
Su Heting felt a heavy blockage in his chest.
After his death, Qiao Xi had shown no reaction at all and had simply turned to the Emperor. Yet to avenge another man, she was willing to marry him and give herself to him.
What truly bothered him was that back then, no matter how his heart stirred, he could not bear to defile her in the slightest. The one time he had been too drunk to control himself, he had only kissed her hair.
But she had fallen for another man and, before even marrying, with no status or title, had given away her purity.
He cherished her, yet she debased herself.
"Su Heting, I have a blood feud with the Emperor. Cooperating with you is for revenge. I do not know why you insist on marrying me, but our cooperation does not include romance or love."
Qiao Xi's cold voice rang out. "If you mind my past, I can keep my distance from you in private. Only on the surface must you continue to pretend to value me—this was our prior agreement."
She did not want to waste time on love and romance. What she wanted was power.
Of course, she could also scheme to win Su Heting's heart, thereby gaining all his support, and even take everything he had for herself.
But Su Heting was not easy to deceive. If Qiao Xi wanted his complete trust and love, she would have to invest herself first.
For revenge, she was willing to pay any price—only her feelings she wanted to save for her Crown Prince brother.
Su Heting's face darkened. "You wish. This prince's love is not something you deserve."
I gave it to you before, and you did not know how to cherish it.
He had wanted to ask who this man was that Qiao Xi would go to such lengths for—who dared to secretly entangle with his betrothed behind his back. He was going to dig up his grave.
But now he felt it was all utterly pointless.
Qiao Xi and he had only a partnership. His marrying her was nothing but debt collection—collecting the debt from the past nine years, nothing more.
He gripped Qiao Xi's waist with both hands and sat her astride his lap. "The Emperor is hypocritical and cares most about his reputation. You had Xu An pin the infamous crime of seizing a subject's wife on him—he will certainly investigate this matter thoroughly.
Without this prince's cooperation, the matter of Bixiang will not withstand scrutiny."
Qiao Xi's fingers suddenly clenched tight.
Su Heting sneered. "This prince does indeed need Liangzhou's water source, but this prince can simply take Liangzhou directly."
"You want to break the agreement?"
Qiao Xi's pupils contracted slightly.
A hand with distinct knuckles lifted Qiao Xi's chin. Su Heting's tone was indifferent. "Qiao Xi, you gave me grain, and I abducted you to Jiangbei as agreed. Marrying you will better convince the Emperor that I am enamored with you—this does not conflict with our prior agreement.
You marry me, I give you five thousand troops. I have fulfilled my promise—goods delivered, payment received.
But I never promised not to attack Liangzhou. Do you think Lou Xin and Xu An can resist my Jiangbei army?"
For the first time, Qiao Xi felt the urge to kill Su Heting.
"What exactly does Your Highness want?"
Su Heting did not answer, but continued, "The Emperor allowed you to stay in Jiangbei because he believed your lies—that I am besotted with your beauty, giving you the chance to assassinate me and seize Jiangbei for him.
But the Emperor is no fool. On the contrary, he is a master of fickleness in matters of the heart. He will judge others by himself, doubting whether my affection for you is real, or how long it might last.
If he discovers that you and I, as husband and wife, are distant—do you think he will still let you stay in Jiangbei?"
A chill ran down Qiao Xi's spine.
Su Heting knew everything.
And everything he said was true.
Pulling Qiao Xi tighter into his arms, Su Heting looked down at her. "That time at the blacksmith's shop, you were wrong.
Though I cannot bear to see the common people starve, I am no good man, and I do not mind being a petty one.
So, Qiao Xi, do you now understand your situation?
Since you need to use me, then play your role well as the Princess Consort of Jiangbei. I did not marry a wife to have her sit there as decoration. Naturally, as long as I live, I will cooperate with you, and I will guard my wife's city for her."
Qiao Xi had never been anyone's wife, nor had anyone taught her how to be a good one—but she could learn.
As long as Su Heting did not set his sights on Liangzhou, as long as Su Heting did not ruin her revenge plan.
She raised her head and kissed Su Heting's lips. She had no experience, but in her past life, in order to assassinate various regional princes, she had played many roles and had seen how men and women kissed.
Qiao Xi had always been clever—some things she could learn just by watching.
But her slightly practiced technique instead enraged Su Heting.
When he was Crown Prince, Su Heting could not bear to touch Qiao Xi—so she must have learned all this from that man.
At the thought, Su Heting furiously yanked Qiao Xi off him and flung her onto the bed.
Still not appeased, he grabbed the blanket and smothered Qiao Xi entirely beneath it.
He wished he could kill her right there.
Yet he also worried she might actually suffocate, so he irritably pulled the blanket down a bit and kissed her roughly.
But damn it.
He did not know how.
He tried to imitate what Qiao Xi had just done, but when their teeth collided, the pain nearly blew the top of his skull off.
Finally, he bit down hard on Qiao Xi's lip, and only when the taste of blood came did he release her, rolling over to lie beside her.
Qiao Xi calmly endured Su Heting's fury, weighing in her mind how much killing Su Heting right now would affect her revenge.
What surprised her was that the man who had seemed so angry had, in the end, bitten himself.
"Auntie Lü."
The man's voice interrupted Qiao Xi's thoughts.
She looked up. A small emerald-green snake slowly poked its head out from the bedding at the foot of the bed, seemingly displeased at having its enjoyable show interrupted, and flicked its tongue at Su Heting.
Su Heting, disgusted by the snake's sluggishness and out of patience, grabbed it and tossed it onto Qiao Xi.
Qiao Xi was not afraid of snakes, but the one Su Heting threw at her was venomous, and by instinct she seized it by the vital spot seven inches from its head.
Su Heting prodded his bitten inner lip.
It wasn't that he couldn't bear to bite Qiao Xi—he simply disdained to discipline a woman that way.
He snorted angrily. "Serving and caring for your husband's elders is also a wife's duty. You've hurt Auntie Lü."
Qiao Xi rarely wore a look of bewilderment.
She thought she had misheard.
Su Heting was saying this snake was his… elder?
Auntie Lü?
"When you came looking for this prince, did you not inquire clearly that I grew up in the mountains?
Naturally, I have a whole clan of aunts and uncles from the mountains. Auntie Lü is advanced in years and her health is poor. From now on, you will look after her."
Qiao Xi looked at the green snake, still agile even with its vital spot pinched, and said truthfully, "I've never raised a snake."
Su Heting sat up, his gaze dark and unreadable. "This prince has never been used like this before either. Also, she is your aunt by marriage."
This meant there was no refusing.
Qiao Xi gritted her teeth and resolved to agree.
But then she heard Su Heting call out the window again, "Auntie Hong."
The window was pushed open, and a fiery red fox leaped in, baring its teeth at Su Heting in a big, extremely brilliant… foolish grin.