Zhao E covered her lips and giggled softly. She knew perfectly well where Zhou Yu was ticklish all over his body.
“Little Prince, you need not pay her any mind. I shall see you off on my sister’s behalf…” Zhao Ruxiu’s eyes were red with anger. Looking at Zhao E’s brazen demeanor, she nearly glared her eyeballs out.
“Are you leaving or not?” Seeing Zhou Yu remain motionless, Zhao E reached out and pinched him below his lower back.
Mm, it did not feel as good through the fabric as skin-to-skin, but she could still tell it was quite firm and strong.
“Zhao E!” Zhao Ruxiu was about to stamp her feet: “You are utterly shameless!”
Zhou Yu’s breathing seemed to deepen. A faint red tinged both his ears. His long legs moved.
Zhao E flashed Zhao Ruxiu a brilliant smile, then followed unhurriedly, boarding the carriage after Zhou Yu.
The moment she entered the carriage, Zhao E’s fair fingers hooked onto Zhou Yu’s belt, her voice sweet enough to wring out water: “Brother-in-law…”
Zhou Yu took his seat, his expression unchanged, his large hand seizing her hand that was misbehaving at his waist.
Zhao E leaned in along the motion, her slender arms hooking around his neck, pressing a light kiss to his earlobe: “I want to trade you for a maid who knows martial arts.”
Zhou Yu’s gaze swept across her creamy neck, his eyes darkening slightly.
Zhao E’s tender, soft hand slid down along his collar. Her red lips pressed to his ear, warm breath spilling over, as she teased laughingly: “Oh no, I forgot—you are my brother-in-law now. A man as self-restrained and proper as you probably would not do anything improper…”
“Not yet.”
Zhou Yu turned his hand and pinned her against the carriage wall, bending down to kiss her heavily.
When Zhao E was nearly suffocating, he finally released her lips. Dense kisses fell from her delicate chin down to her creamy white neck…
Zhao E’s cheeks flushed faintly pink, the corners of her eyes a deep crimson. Her posture leaned slightly back, her allure fully displayed.
“Little Prince, the Prince requests you return as soon as possible. There is an important matter to discuss.”
The one delivering the message was Qu Xiao, Zhou Yu’s attendant, in a tone of pure business.
Beside him, another attendant, Lu Yi, whispered: “Once the young lady leaves, do you think the Little Prince will twist your head off?”
“Shut up!” Qu Xiao smacked him on the forehead.
Zhou Yu stopped his movements, his face buried against Zhao E’s front, and drew a deep breath.
“Seems like I will not be getting that trade.” Zhao E gave Zhou Yu a light push on top of his head, smiling as she gathered her half-open collar.
Zhou Yu sat up straight and straightened his disheveled clothing.
Zhao E leaned against the carriage wall, a smile at the corner of her lips. Watching him, she saw him withdraw from the earlier daze in but a moment, returning to his usual noble, austere demeanor.
“You want a maid who knows martial arts?” Zhou Yu asked mildly.
“The Jiang family intends to make a move against me.” Zhao E lazily adjusted her collar: “A pity the Jiang family’s bastard son is not handsome enough. Otherwise, I could still toy with him for a while.”
“You cannot toy with him.” Zhou Yu watched her, his eyes cold and deep.
“Why not?”
Zhao E glanced at him. The crimson at the corners of her eyes had yet to fade, bewitchingly so. She adjusted her sitting position and said carelessly: “We agreed back then—I would be your outside woman, and you would give me what I want. Mutual benefit. Either of us can call it off at any time.”
Over these years, borrowing Zhou Yu’s influence, she had seized back from her stepmother the dowry her mother had left her, and protected the people she wanted to protect.
She had also made several attempts to topple the Jinyang Prince’s Residence, but at every critical moment, the Fuguo Duke’s Residence would step in and preserve the Jinyang Prince’s Residence.
That was why she had married into the Fuguo Duke’s Residence—she intended to eradicate the root of all evil completely!
Without the Jinyang Prince’s Residence to rely on, it would be easier to destroy them.
She did not deny that Zhou Yu had helped her a great deal, but she had paid her dues as well.
The two of them—one wanted her beauty, the other wanted power—each took what they needed, owing nothing to the other.
“If you play with it, it’ll shrink,” Zhou Yu said flatly.
“What?” Zhao E’s dark brows knitted slightly, not catching his meaning at once.
“Break the legs, and it shrinks.” Zhou Yu rose and pushed open the carriage curtain.
“Beast.”
Zhao E eyed his impeccably dressed appearance and scolded him with a glare.
“Go back first. The person will come over on their own later.” Zhou Yu shifted to the side.
As Zhao E brushed past him, her hand lifted slightly, the pale back of it grazing just below his lower abdomen.
She let out a bold laugh, stepped down from the carriage, and left without a backward glance.
Zhou Yu’s gaze tangled on her figure, its meaning obscure, until she mounted the soft sedan—only then did he drop the curtain and sit back: “Return to the residence.”
Once in the soft sedan, Zhao E instructed: “Back to Xiyuan.”
She still had that unfinished opera on her mind.
After the opera, she went to a tavern and drank a few cups of fruit wine, then strolled through the market and took in the night sights—half the day had slipped by.
By the time she returned to the Fuguo Duke’s Residence, it was past the hour of Hai.
Zhao E slowly descended from the soft sedan.
A young woman strode up to meet her at the gate and dropped to a kowtow: “This servant Ling Feng, greets the young lady.”
“How long have you waited?” Zhao E looked her over with downcast eyes.
“However long the wait, it is this servant’s duty.” Ling Feng answered with her head still to the ground.
“Raise your head.”
Ling Feng obeyed.
Zhao E gave her a brief once-over—handsome features, neat attire, clearly someone reliable at a glance.
Zhou Yu might be a beast, but his eye for choosing people was indeed excellent.
“Come in with me.”
Zhao E led the way, stepping over the high threshold of the Fuguo Duke’s Residence.
“Thank you, young lady.” Ling Feng kowtowed again before rising to follow.
“Zhao E, you wretch! You’ve been out whoring around until now!”
Jiang Huaifu stormed in from outside, cursing loudly: “In all of Dayuan you won’t find a second shameless hussy who disregards wifely virtue like you!”
Zhao E turned back, raising her round fan to half-cover her mouth and nose, her almond eyes narrowing slightly as she laughed softly: “Aren’t you just getting back too?
The two of us really are a perfect match!”
Jiang Huaifu reeked of alcohol, so foul she stepped back half a pace.
“How can a wretch like you compare to a proper man like me?” Jiang Huaifu, furious and humiliated, rushed forward and nearly pointed at her nose: “I command you—get back to Zhaoyang Yuan and reflect on every word and deed since you married into my family!”
“That won’t be necessary.” Zhao E pushed his hand away with her round fan, her gaze flicking to Jiang Huaifu’s lower abdomen, the corner of her lips curling slightly: “Whether it rises or not—you’re the one who should be reflecting, don’t you think?”
“Zhao E!”
Jiang Huaifu seemed to squeeze those two words through his teeth, raising his hand to slap her.
He had suddenly become impotent for no reason!
For half a month, whether seeking doctors and medicine or praying to gods and Buddhas, he had even spent a fortune trying the most famous courtesans—yet nothing worked at all!
Zhao E’s words were no different from stabbing him in the heart—how could he not rage?
Ling Feng had been guarding Zhao E’s side all along. Seeing this, she seized his wrist and effortlessly forced him to his knees on the ground.
Jiang Huaifu’s pageboy and the gatekeeper stirred restlessly, wanting to rush up and rescue him.
Ling Feng turned her head and snapped: “Dare to move an inch and I’ll snap his arm.”
Several people, wary of the consequences, naturally did not dare to act rashly.
Zhao E could not be bothered to entangle herself with Jiang Huaifu, and turned to leave.
The lantern light illuminated her profile, and Jiang Huaifu caught sight of the fresh marks on her neck at a glance.
“Zhao E, stop right there!” He flew into a rage: “What is that on your neck?”