After hearing Cuihua's words, Xu Bao'er, lying on the bed couch, pulled the quilt over her head.
“Cuihua, go outside first. This princess consort will be fine.”
Looking at her princess consort's self-deceiving appearance, Cuihua was rendered speechless and dried out in silence.
“Princess consort, what do you call this again…” Cuihua could not remember for a moment how to describe her princess consort's behavior.
“Covering One’s Ears While Stealing a Bell.”
“Right, Covering One’s Ears While Stealing a Bell!”
Seeing her princess consort's small arms and legs, Cuihua feared that the prince might kill her with a single palm strike.
“Enough, go out.” Seeing that Cuihua still refused to leave, Xu Bao'er, hidden beneath the quilt, spoke again.
At such a crucial moment, there absolutely could not be any outsiders present. Otherwise, after Zhou Jin discovered her true identity, it would be difficult for him to swallow his pride and forgive her.
“If you still refuse to leave, beware that the prince, in his fury, will sell you to the brothel.”
The moment Cuihua heard the three words “brothel,” she turned and ran, silently praying that her princess consort would take care of herself.
Xu Bao'er sighed. Cuihua's mother had indeed been right: whenever Cuihua refused to behave, the words “brothel” would immediately frighten her into obedience.
Cuihua had not been gone long when Zhou Jin arrived. His stride was steady, and his approach was menacing.
As soon as Zhou Jin entered, he saw this scene. Xu Bao'er was hiding beneath the quilt, her entire body resembling a silkworm chrysalis.
Hmph, don't think you can escape this way.
“Xu Bao'er.” Zhou Jin's voice was cold; he was unwilling even to address her by the honorific Princess Consort of Prince Duan.
Soon, this woman would no longer be his Princess Consort of Prince Duan.
The woman beneath the quilt did not answer, and Zhou Jin grew somewhat impatient.
“This prince is going to divorce you. Do you have any objections?”
“No, but I have a small request.”
The voice from beneath the quilt was muffled and soft, and Zhou Jin could not hear it clearly.
Hmph, the xu family's daughter was truly insatiably greedy, just like the rest of them.
“Speak.”
“This concubine wants the ten shops in the west city district, one thousand taels of gold, ten chests of jewelry and ornaments, and also…”
“Enough. Don't push your luck.”
Xu Bao'er was speechless inside. Sure enough, when it came to women they disliked, all men were stingy.
What Xu Bao'er had just asked for was not even as valuable as the gilded sapphire-and-kingfisher hair crown Zhou Jin had given her back then.
“Take everything you mentioned and accept the divorce letter from this prince.”
Zhou Jin did not wish to say anything more to Xu Bao'er. The fact that he had not taken the head on one’s shoulders was already a sign of courtesy.
Yet she still dared to be so shameless and make so many demands.
Xu Bao'er, hiding beneath the quilt, extended one hand. “Prince, just pass the divorce letter to this concubine. This concubine is unwell and has no face to meet you.”
Zhou Jin froze. Why did that voice sound so familiar? This hand also looked somewhat familiar.
Without thinking deeply about it, Zhou Jin handed the divorce letter in his hand to Xu Bao'er.
After Xu Bao'er received the divorce letter, her hand shot back beneath the quilt with a swift sound.
Seeing that his objective had been achieved, Zhou Jin turned and left.
Xu Bao'er, hiding beneath the quilt, listened for a while and sensed that there was no movement outside.
Assuming Zhou Jin had already left, Xu Bao'er lifted the quilt and climbed up. She prepared to see what exactly Zhou Jin had written in the divorce letter.
Before Xu Bao'er could examine it closely, the corner of her eye caught sight of a scarlet python-patterned robe behind the door.
Their eyes met, and Xu Bao'er was so frightened that she shrank back beneath the quilt.
Good heavens, why hadn't Zhou Jin left!
I'm doomed. This time, I'm truly doomed.
Zhou Jin had originally doubled back merely to see what Xu Bao'er was up to. She had agreed far too quickly, and Zhou Jin was not entirely at ease.
Unexpectedly, when the quilt was lifted, the face revealed beneath it was actually his Bao'er.
Xu Bao'er. Bao'er.
Very well, Xu Bao'er truly had some nerve—she had deceived him for so long!
Taking a few steps forward, Zhou Jin reached the bed couch and looked down at the woman hiding in the bedding, wishing he could drag her out immediately.
“Come out.”
“No, I won't.” Xu Bao'er curled herself into a ball, afraid that Zhou Jin would yank away her quilt.
“This prince will say it one last time. Come out for this prince.”
Zhou Jin's voice was frighteningly deep, yet Xu Bao'er still refused to come out.
Suddenly, Xu Bao'er felt a hand reaching in from beneath the quilt. Before she could dodge, she was seized and pulled out.
The quilt slipped away, and Xu Bao'er's hand was caught by Zhou Jin. Guilty as a thief, she did not dare look at him.
Zhou Jin snatched the divorce letter from Xu Bao'er's hand first and swiftly tucked it back into his robes.
She could forget about getting this divorce letter.
“Huh? I haven't even read it.”
Meeting Zhou Jin's icy gaze, Xu Bao'er fell silent.
“Why did you deceive this prince?”
“Because this concubine has feelings for you.”
“Liar.”
“It's true. This concubine knew that prince disliked me, so I could only approach prince under another identity.”
Xu Bao'er pursed her lips, her rosy cherry lips brimming with grievance. For the sake of completing the mission, she would put on a little act.
“Are you very pleased with yourself for playing this prince around in circles?”
“Just a little.” Xu Bao'er answered without regard for her own safety.
Zhou Jin gripped Xu Bao'er's chin and forced her to look at him. He stared for a long time but said nothing.
Xu Bao'er swallowed, and her heart pounded wildly.
“You win.”
Zhou Jin tossed out those words and was about to leave when Xu Bao'er wrapped both arms tightly around him from behind.
She absolutely could not let Zhou Jin leave. This tsundere man was difficult enough; if she let him go this time, she would suffer for a long time afterward.
“Prince, don't go.”
“This concubine was wrong. I was wrong to approach prince under a false identity, wrong to covet prince's beauty, and wrong to develop feelings for prince.”
Every sentence Xu Bao'er spoke claimed that she was wrong, yet none of it sounded sincere, as though every sentence were saying, “this concubine did nothing wrong.”
“This concubine truly likes prince very much. I once wanted to tell prince the truth, but I was afraid that after learning the truth, prince would cast this concubine aside.”
Xu Bao'er continued speaking, but the hands clasped around Zhou Jin's waist refused to stay still and kept misbehaving.
Zhou Jin could endure no more and seized the hand that was causing trouble.
Xu Bao'er was acting so recklessly simply because she was counting on his affection for her.
At that moment, Zhou Jin's mind was more confused than it had ever been. The shock was too great, and he could not accept this fact all at once.
“Ow, that hurts.”
Xu Bao'er released Zhou Jin, collapsed onto the bed couch, and rubbed her belly.
It seemed she could only bring out her secret weapon.
Zhou Jin had no time to be angry. The instant he heard that Xu Bao'er was unwell, he turned around and looked at her.
“Where does it hurt?”
Concern filled Zhou Jin's voice as he looked Xu Bao'er up and down, having no time to be angry.
Xu Bao'er took Zhou Jin's hand and placed it on her belly. Her voice was soft and plaintive. “Here. It hurts here.”
“I'll call the imperial physician.”
Zhou Jin was so anxious that he forgot to refer to himself as this prince, but Xu Bao'er caught hold of his hand.
“Silly.”
Xu Bao'er's gaze was coquettish, and she refused to release his hand.
Only then did Zhou Jin realize that Xu Bao'er was pretending to be ill. Yet he could not truly bring himself to be angry with her. Thus, he pulled Xu Bao'er into his arms and gave her cheek a punitive pinch.
What kind of development was this? No, this wasn't right.
Xu Bao'er widened her eyes. This blockhead had actually failed to understand what she meant.
She was pregnant!
“Mm.”
Zhou Jin could not resist kissing Xu Bao'er, but she stopped him.
Zhou Jin raised his head unhappily, his gaze dark and deep.
“Silly, you're going to be a father.”
Zhou Jin froze and looked at Xu Bao'er in disbelief. What had she just said? He was going to be a father?