The injuries on Xu Yu'er’s face had not yet healed. Although she was not as beautiful as Xu Bao'er, her features were still delicate and clear, making her a beauty.
The scars on her face had yet to fade. Their purplish bruises only made her look even more pitiful.
Although it was summer, Xu Yu'er wore a black cloak, hiding her entire body beneath it.
“Prince Duan.” Xu Yu'er looked timidly at Zhou Jin with a gentle, sorrowful voice, her eyes filled with complicated emotions.
“May I ask why the crown princess has come to this prince’s study?”
Zhou Jin’s voice held a trace of impatience. Were all the Xu Family’s daughters this shameless?
They came from a respected scholarly family, yet they did not know even the slightest bit of shame.
Xu Yu'er closed the door behind her, terrified that someone might see her. Her conscience was in turmoil.
After all, being seen appearing in Prince Duan’s study late at night would be a grave offense.
She did not know whether Prince Duan would live or die, but she was certainly doomed.
“Because of the substitute marriage, I have never had the opportunity to explain things clearly to Prince Duan.” Xu Yu'er took a few steps closer, her eyes seeming to speak yet holding back.
“It has already been so long. Crown princess, you need not dwell on it.”
Zhou Jin was no fool. It was obvious that Xu Yu'er had not come to discuss what happened back then. She merely wanted to use it as an excuse to approach him.
Hearing that Zhou Jin did not care about the matter from that year at all, Xu Yu'er bit her lip aggrievedly.
“Originally, this concubine and prince were meant to be a pair. If Bao'er had not interfered, perhaps we would already be a loving husband and wife.”
Bao'er. Zhou Jin’s brows knitted slightly as he murmured this name.
Bao'er, Xu Bao'er?
Xu Yu'er poured out her feelings at length, but Zhou Jin did not hear a single word. He rubbed his brow. Perhaps he was overthinking things.
The name Bao'er was so common. How could his Bao'er possibly be that scheming woman surnamed Xu?
“Prince.”
At some point, Xu Yu'er had already come before Zhou Jin, her voice coy and affected.
“This concubine has feelings for prince.”
“Please conduct yourself with dignity.”
Zhou Jin retreated two steps and stared at Xu Yu'er incredulously. Was there something wrong with this woman’s head? If she wanted to die, she did not need to choose such a disgusting way to do it.
Xu Yu'er untied the cord of her black cloak. The cloak slid down, revealing her fair shoulders.
Xu Yu'er was extremely bold. She wore only a red mandarin-duck Dudou on her upper body, leaving her exquisite figure fully exposed.
She had wanted Zhou Jin far too much.
A man as handsome and elegant as a transcendent immortal should have been hers.
She was seriously ill. Zhou Jin was too lazy even to lift his eyelids. The astonishment in his eyes quickly turned into disgust.
“Prince, please have mercy on this concubine.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Xu Yu'er lunged at Zhou Jin.
Zhou Jin nimbly dodged, but Xu Yu'er could not stop herself. She crashed into a chair and fell to the floor.
“Prince.”
Xu Yu'er did not understand. Was it not said that men would never push away a woman who offered herself to them? Why would Zhou Jin not even spare her a glance?
She had already humbled herself this much.
“Prince, if you are afraid of the crown prince, this concubine can help you eliminate him.”
Xu Yu'er tried to grab Zhou Jin’s robe, but she grasped nothing but air.
“If you want to die, I can grant your wish. There is no need to turn yourself into a prostitute from a brothel.”
Xu Yu'er abruptly raised her head and stared at Zhou Jin in disbelief. The smile curling at his lips was filled with mockery.
“You!”
Xu Yu'er was nearly angered to death. Zhou Jin had actually compared her, the crown princess, to a prostitute from a brothel. This was simply too insulting.
Zhou Jin could not be bothered to deal with Xu Yu'er. He flicked his sleeve, turned around, and left.
Only Xu Yu'er remained, dressed scantily and lying on the floor.
“Ah!” Xu Yu'er screamed in a frenzy. She was going to kill them!
For such humiliation, she, Xu Yu'er, would certainly make them repay her several times over.
“Behave yourself.”
Song Xingzhi bound Luo Qiang and dragged him over to Xu Bao'er.
“A-San, you have to be careful. This Luo Qiang is one of the mountain bandits. You have no strength to bind a chicken, so do not get hurt.”
Luo Qiang sighed inwardly. What kind of act were these people putting on in front of him? How annoying.
If he had no strength to bind a chicken, then that chicken-binding strength must be divine power capable of reaching the heavens.
“Brat, kill me or flay me. Do as you please.”
“You tied me up and dragged me out. What exactly are you planning to do?”
Luo Qiang already knew that Jiulan Mountain had been surrounded and destroyed. Countless of his brothers had been killed or wounded. Now that he had fallen into these people’s hands, he would simply live one day at a time.
From the very first day Luo Qiang became a bandit, he had treated every day as his last, spending money extravagantly and living freely.
“I plan to take you out for a stroll. I still remember the grudge from the day you harassed me.”
“Damn it, you dead sissy. You’re petty enough to rival a needle’s eye.”
Upon hearing Xu Bao'er’s words, Luo Qiang spat harshly and began cursing outright.
Song Xingzhi could not stand hearing anyone curse his brother, so he struck Luo Qiang hard on the head.
“Behave yourself. My brother says he wants to take you for a stroll, so you must let him.”
Luo Qiang had always known how to read the situation. After Song Xingzhi hit him on the head, he became much more obedient.
That bastard really had a powerful grip.
“A-San, I have something else to do, so I’ll leave first. Take this brat for a good stroll. If anything happens, send up a signal flare and call for my help.”
According to the plan, Song Xingzhi left first, leaving Xu Bao'er alone.
“Let’s go. Today, I’ll show you what a real man is.”
Xu Bao'er pulled on Luo Qiang’s rope, preparing to take him to drink and visit courtesans.
Luo Qiang did not know where Xu Bao'er intended to take him, but he followed unwillingly.
As they walked through the streets, people all around pointed at him. The mark identifying him as one of the jiulan mountain bandits was simply too conspicuous.
It had once been an impressive mark. Now Luo Qiang wished he could go naked rather than reveal the mark on his clothes.
“You know being a bandit is embarrassing now? What were you doing back then?”
Luo Qiang could not be bothered to answer Xu Bao'er. These pampered young masters would never understand him.
If he ever got the chance, he would definitely kill this sissy.
When they saw the mark of the jiulan mountain bandits, the madam of the brothel had originally wanted to turn them away. Unfortunately, Xu Bao'er’s silver was too dazzling.
The madam gritted her teeth and accepted it anyway.
Xu Bao'er tied Luo Qiang to a pillar while she held one beauty in each arm, drinking wine fed to her by one beauty and busily eating grapes fed to her by another.
She had taken an alcohol-warding pill provided by the system beforehand. After drinking, she would still become drunk, but it would not harm her body.
Only by getting drunk could she naturally let Luo Qiang go and carry out the next part of her plan.
Bound in place, Luo Qiang burned with anger and envy.
This dead sissy actually had such a perverted fetish—tying him to a pillar and making him watch a scene of him enjoying himself with beauties.
He could not partake with his mouth, yet his heart itched terribly.
Luo Qiang vomited blood inwardly. He was terrified that after the sissy played around with the beauties in bed, he would also drag him over to watch.
“Dead sissy, you pervert.”
Luo Qiang continued muttering curses under his breath. Suddenly, he noticed that the rope binding his hands seemed to have loosened.
“Very good, sissy. Keep enjoying yourself.”
“Once I slip away, you’re going to be in serious trouble. Everyone saw you let me go.”
After struggling a few times, Luo Qiang found that the rope around his hands had loosened. He crept quietly toward outside the door.
At that moment, Xu Bao'er, who had been drinking, let out a soft laugh. She glanced at Luo Qiang’s fleeing back and continued drinking.