Qiao Zhen led Xu Ruan into the Flower Pavilion. She went upstairs, found a seat at random, and then leaned against the railing to watch the opera on the stage below. She would occasionally glance at Lu Yuanchuan and Miss Lin, but she would always quickly look away.

[Lu Yuanchuan's favorability rating: Zero.]

Lu Yuanchuan watched the opera as if he were completing a task. When Miss Lin coughed lightly a few times, he would pour tea and water and push the cup over, saying a few words of concern, which would make Miss Lin blush and lower her head shyly.

"Ah Kuang, help me peel the sunflower seeds." Qiao Zhen looked at the sunflower seeds and nuts on the table. She could do it herself, but doing it herself wouldn't show off her status.

Xu Ruankuang obediently peeled the melon seeds on the table and put the kernels into the dish in Qiao Zhen's hand. He also peeled some walnuts and almonds and put them all into the dish.

The woman on the stage had a clear and melodious voice, a slender waist, and a gentle, jade-like appearance. Her figure was graceful, her eyes alluring, and her arms soft and fragrant. As she spun, her skirt billowed, creating a scene of her own.

Qiao Zhen initially paid occasional attention to Lu Yuanchuan and Miss Lin, but her gaze was gradually drawn to the woman in the audience. When the opera ended and the woman turned around and smiled at the end, Qiao Zhen was still somewhat unsatisfied. She glanced unintentionally at the place where Lu Yuanchuan and Miss Lin had been sitting and found that the person there had already changed.

Qiao Zhen pouted. Anyway, Lu Yuanchuan's favorability towards her had already dropped to zero, so it couldn't get any worse. She stuffed the remaining fruit on the plate into her mouth and mumbled, "A-Kuang, let's go back."

Xu Ruankuang and Chunzhu left with Qiao Zhen. When they came across a gambling den, Qiao Zhen couldn't resist going in and playing a few rounds. He won and lost, but it was just for fun.

"Princess, let's go back quickly. Gambling is addictive. Have you forgotten how the Emperor chased you with a small bamboo pole and beat you when you gambled before?"

Qiao Zhen immediately raised her hand to cover Xu Ruankuang's mouth, and said in a low voice, "If you don't say I'm a princess, who will know I'm a princess? Besides, didn't my father go with my mother? It's not easy for the serfs to rise up and sing songs of joy, can't you say a few nice words to make me happy?!"

Chunzhu looked at the frustrated Qiao Zhen and the depressed Xu Ruankuang, and she pursed her lips to suppress a laugh.

Seeing Chunzhu's half-smile, Qiao Zhen said in a curt tone, "Fine, you dare laugh at me? Wait till we get back, I'll teach you a lesson!"

Chunzhu quickly begged for forgiveness.

The gambling den was full of gamblers and spoiled brats; there were hardly any respectable young masters there. Given Qiao Zhen and Chun Zhu's looks, it was impossible for them not to attract men who would stab them in the head for their beauty.

Anyone with a clear head could see Qiao Zhen's imposing presence and the robust physique of Xu Ruan Kuang beside her. But some drunken idiots just had to wander onto the wrong set and provoke Qiao Zhen.

"The young lady is as beautiful as a flower, so pretty!" The drunken, fat, ugly man reeked of alcohol as he tried to touch Qiao Zhen's face.

Xu Ruankuang immediately kicked the ugly man.

Qiao Zhen could only say that it was all because of her beauty. If having beauty meant enduring these misfortunes, she would gladly accept it.

The chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) girl Qiao Zhenzhen has arrived!

She said casually, "Considering he just praised me, I'll go easy on him and remove the arm he was trying to touch."

Everyone was horrified.

With a swift motion, Xu Ruankuang brought down his knife, and the ugly man's arm fell to the ground.

"Ah—" The pitiful cry drowned out the gamblers' shouts, and the casino fell silent except for the ugly man's wailing.

Qiao Zhen took out two gold leaves from her waist, tossed them upwards, and let them fall to the ground. "I bet the person on the ground is dead. Ah Kuang, let's go."

A seemingly nonsensical sentence can send chills down the spine of those who understand it.

She bet that everyone on the ground would surely die, showing that she didn't value human life. The atmosphere in the casino was somewhat eerie; gold leaves lay on the ground, but no one dared to pick them up.

After returning home, Qiao Zhen didn't take the matter to heart. It wasn't until Xu Ruankuang mentioned it that she realized that the fat, ugly man was actually Miss Lin's cousin.

The person behind that casino was the First Prince, and Lu Yuanchuan was in the same party as the First Prince. This inevitably involved a lot of people, so Xu Ruan Kuang was quickly recognized by the Lu family, and naturally Qiao Zhen was also recognized.

"Teasing a princess is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family. They're probably tired of living if they dare to come knocking on our door."

Qiao Zhen continued to eat and drink as usual, occasionally writing a couple of love poems for Chunzhu to deliver to Lu Yuanchuan, and then going out with Xu Ruankuang to watch a play and enjoy the scenery. She lived a leisurely and fulfilling life.

but……

As Qiao Zhen was about to leave for her appointment with Xu Ruankuang, she was knocked unconscious by a blow to the head after turning a corner.

The sky is vast and the fields are boundless; the wind blows and the grass rustles, and the princess is abducted.

When Qiao Zhen woke up, she was inside a sack. She couldn't see the scenery outside, only the faint light. She tried to breathe evenly, pretending to be unconscious, but she was listening intently to what was happening outside.

"Squeak."

The door made this sound when it rubbed against the frame as it was pushed open, and the person's footsteps were heavy, so he must be a big guy. She strained her ears to listen to the sound.

“My dear niece, this woman keeps writing those shameless things to my future husband every few days. I have an irreconcilable hatred for her. If you help your uncle cover it up, your uncle will eliminate her completely today and also solve the problem of your marriage. Kill two birds with one stone, isn’t that great!”

Qiao Zhen listened to the loud voice but couldn't recognize who it was. Besides, she rarely made enemies, and the number of people who hated her this much could be counted on one hand.

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