Chapter 18

◎I, the King, will accompany you to catch this adulterous couple.◎

She said there was one thing that was most suspicious, but she wouldn't say exactly what it was, she just looked at him with her eyes.

Su Lu turned his head slightly, picked up the brush on the table, and made a stroke on the map of the capital.

His hands are so beautiful.

His fingers were clearly defined, each joint was symmetrical and slender, and there were slightly protruding tendons on the inside of his wrist. It wasn't until Su Lu put down the brush that Xie Yutang lowered his eyes and turned his gaze to the map.

ferry.

She had just marked three locations. One was too close to the armory; while convenient for storing weapons, it would be too difficult to smuggle them out discreetly. Another location, though advantageous for concealment, was too narrow and unsuitable for transport. Only this one remained—

Xie Yutang stared at the strokes he had drawn for a moment, then looked up at the silent boy holding his pen in front of him: "Why is it a ferry crossing?"

“The first step in stealing military equipment and moving it out of the patrol camp is to get it back. The most important thing is to be able to get the equipment back.”

The boy placed the wolf-hair brush on the brush holder and lightly touched a spot on the map with his fingertip: "There is an abandoned mansion here, less than a mile from the ferry. It used to be used by the Ministry of Works to store water conservancy facilities. Later, the emperor designated a new area in the western suburbs, and this place was gradually abandoned. The Ministry of War took it over and converted it into a place for farming and grain production."

He spoke fluently, but what he needed behind the scenes was a powerful information network and a grasp of the political situation. Xie Yutang was able to see through the intricacies of the situation thanks to his experience in the political arena in his previous life.

How did this boy, who is even younger than her, manage to do it?

Xie Yutang's gaze fell on his face, and she curled her lips slightly: "It seems that Prince Su is also concerned about matters of the court."

Su Lu lowered his eyes, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Seeing that he had no intention of explaining further, Xie Yutang remained noncommittal.

Since he has promised to be loyal to her, she doesn't mind giving him some space before he commits any actual act of betrayal.

"In terms of size, this place can hold a large amount of military equipment; in terms of distance, it is less than an hour's walk from the armory; and most importantly—it is a ferry crossing."

Xie Yutang traced the map down the spot the boy had just pointed to: "To transport such a large batch of military equipment out undetected, water transport is undoubtedly much more convenient than the heavily guarded land route. After careful consideration, storing the military equipment temporarily in this mansion near the ferry is the best option."

"I will find an opportunity to investigate."

"No need."

Su Lu was still an undercover agent in the patrol battalion. Although we knew he was capable, the risk was still too great.

Xie Yutang already had a plan in mind: "Wait for my news about this matter. If all goes well, I will go with you openly and honestly."

Things went more smoothly than she had expected.

Three days later, the news that the Third Prince Lin Tan had invited Princess Ning'an Xie Yutang to go boating spread like wildfire throughout the entire capital of Dayan.

"His Highness has gone to great lengths. From the furnishings to the desserts, tea, and wine on the ship, everything was arranged by His Highness. Although His Highness is known for his refined taste and elegant manners, this is the first time he has ever been so meticulous in his arrangements. In fact—"

Slightly tipsy, Wei Xianxi held a bamboo chopstick in his hand, tapping the rim of his bowl to the beat of the drums. He pointed to the singers and dancers in front of him and said, "I even specially invited the most famous dance troupe in the capital to come to the ship to sing and dance for you."

When princes and princesses travel, the task of protecting their safety naturally falls to the patrol battalion. Lin Tan is a prince, and there is also Princess Ning'an, Xie Yutang, who enjoys the emperor's special favor. The opportunity to have such two highly sought-after princesses by one's side for protection and companionship is something many people would dream of.

No wonder Commander Wei was so diligent in flattering and trying to please his two masters.

Xie Yutang sipped his tea indifferently.

Feeling guilty for having gone to the lantern festival with Ning Yan'er that day, Lin Tan sent Xiao Fuzi the next day to ask Xie Yutang to join him on a private trip.

Xiao Fuzi knew in her heart that her master had acted unfairly last time, and she was prepared to be turned away. But Xie Yutang actually agreed and even said that she wanted to go on a boat trip.

Lin Tan naturally obeyed her, not only letting Xie Yutang decide the cruise, but even the route of the cruise.

Lin Tan felt that she had been sincere and considerate this time, and thought that even Xie Yutang, who was a thousand-year-old iceberg, would melt. However, she did not expect that Xie Yutang would still be so indifferent. Throughout the meal, no matter how Wei Xianxi tried to lead the conversation, she did not even glance at him, but she did look towards the door several times.

Lin Tan's hands, hidden in her sleeves, gradually turned white.

She still can't forget that little bastard.

Standing outside the door was Su Lu—as the top scorer in the martial arts test, he was naturally "reassigned" to the ship to perform guard duties.

Before leaving, Wei Xianxi very tactfully visited him, saying that he had a hundred reasons to prevent the Third Prince from showing up if there was anyone he didn't want to see.

But Lin Tan refused.

He not only wanted to bring this little bastard here, but also wanted to put on a good show for Xie Yutang.

It wasn't that Lin Tan was petty; it was just that this little bastard was too restless. If he had just stayed in the patrol camp as a guard, that would have been fine, but he actually dared to meet Xie Yutang in secret on the night of the lantern festival, trying to seduce the emperor.

Princess Ning'an's status is nothing compared to that of a lowly barbarian dancer's son. She was kicked out of the house and still has no shame, yet she dares to try and climb the social ladder.

Upon receiving Lin Tan's hint, Wei Xianxi paused slightly in his tapping of the bowl, and subtly tightened his grip on the medicinal powder wrapped in paper in his sleeve.

"Young Master Su, the sea breeze is damp and cold. Have a pot of wine to warm yourself up, or you won't be able to stay awake until the middle of the night."

Halfway through the banquet, Wei Xianxi came to Su Lu, who was on duty at the door, and greeted him warmly. He put his hand on Su Lu's shoulder and patted him with concern, his face flushed with alcohol and full of a kind smile.

Su Lu quietly watched the wine flask he had unscrewed in his hand.

Wei Xianxi's smile gradually faltered as Su Lu's calm and indifferent eyes fixed on him, making him momentarily believe that his act of drugging the drink had been seen through.

Su Lu finally reached out and took the wine pouch from him.

Only after watching the other party drink the wine did Wei Xianxi secretly breathe a sigh of relief and put on the smile of a commander caring for his subordinates again: "Young Master Su, do a good job. Although our patrol camp is not comparable to Princess Ning'an's residence, it is not an ordinary place. With Young Master Su's martial arts skills and talents, you will definitely have a bright future!"

Su Lu calmly clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I hope Commander Wei will be more lenient with me."

As dusk fell, the afterglow of the setting sun painted the boy's porcelain-white skin with a honey-like glow, making his face, which had a distinctly foreign appearance, even more radiant and captivating in the shifting light and shadow.

Wei Xianxi paused for a moment, then laughed and said some polite words before turning to leave.

A line of dancers who had just finished their performance walked towards them. Wei Xianxichong gave a wink to the last dancer with pink flowing sleeves, and she nodded slightly. At the next corner, she left the line and headed towards the position where Su Lu was on duty.

It was all too easy to guess what kind of drug was in that pot of wine. As soon as Wei Xianxi turned around, Su Lu spat the wine he was holding into the sea.

He secretly circulated his inner energy, making his face slightly flushed, and pretended to realize something was wrong after the drug took effect, then walked towards the inner cabin with a tense body.

"Has this young master had too much to drink?"

A seductive female voice rang out from behind, accompanied by the rich fragrance of acacia, which made one's bones melt.

As dusk approached and the banquet was in full swing, sounds that would make one blush could be heard occasionally emanating from the tightly closed inner cabin.

At that moment, Su Lu remembered the faint fragrance of orchids on Xie Yutang. The dancer saw his originally sharp expression soften for a moment and thought that her charm had worked. She was secretly pleased and her tone became more and more unrestrained and coquettish.

As the most famous dancer in Dayan Prefecture, her true skill was not dancing, but rather matters of love and romance.

Countless men would spend a fortune just to have a kiss with her, and she watched them make a fool of themselves on the bed, their mouths smiling but their hearts cold. In her mind, men were no different from dogs.

They're the kind of animals that would wag their tails and pounce on a bone if given one.

But no one was like the young master before them.

She had never seen anyone so beautiful.

She was so beautiful that she willingly threw herself at her.

Even if it's just a fleeting moment of pleasure, it's worth it.

The dancer, seemingly boneless and delicate, clung to him, revealing her most charming and tender side, her breath sweet as orchids: "How about I take care of you, sir..."

Xie Yutang had been keeping an eye on Su Lu's condition. Seeing that Su Lu had not returned after leaving his post, he got up to go look for him.

Lin Tan lightly pressed the unfurled fan ribs on the table, about to speak, when Xie Yutang swept a glance at her: "What, are you going to stop me?"

How could that be?

Lin Tan smiled gently, holding his fan, with a hint of self-deprecation in his smile. "What does Tangtang think I am? Prince Su was once my study companion and is also an old friend of your household, Tangtang. I'm just worried."

Lin Tan's words made Xie Yutang even more convinced that there was something fishy about this matter. He decided to see what tricks Lin Tan was up to. The two walked out of the cabin and found that Su Lu was nowhere to be seen on the deck. Lin Tan stopped a wine delivery boy, who clearly knew something. His eyes darted around and he stammered.

"Where exactly did Prince Su go? Tell me!"

"Reporting to Your Highness, Your Highness, and Your Highness, I just saw... I saw Guard Su embracing a dancer and going to a guest room on the second floor..."

"nonsense!"

Lin Tan spoke sternly, shouting, "Young Master Su has only drunk too much. Even if he is a young man full of vigor, how could he not control himself when he sees a beautiful dancer and want to take her to the guest room? Did you see clearly? If you are lying, I will throw you into the river to feed the fish!"

His shout was clearly heard by most of the people on the deck.

The people of Dayan are open-minded. When the royal family and nobles go on pleasure boats for banquets, there are often romantic escapades after they get drunk. Many male guests have already taken dancers and maids to their rooms on the second floor.

The servant knelt on the ground, trembling like a leaf: "Your Highness, every word I said is true. I did see with my own eyes that Prince Su took that dancer upstairs and into room number five in the Heavenly section!"

Lin Tan was fiddling with a folding fan, about to say something more, when Xie Yutang had already bypassed the servant, flicked his long sleeves, and strode straight towards the second-floor wing room.

"Tangtang!"

Lin Tan chased after them.

The palace maids and servants passing by on the deck, seeing Xie Yutang rushing towards the inner cabin in a flurry, followed by the Third Prince, were all too frightened to breathe and quickly made way for him.

Lin Tan finally caught up with Xie Yutang at a corner and grabbed her wrist.

"What's wrong? You just said you were worried about Prince Su, why are you stopping me now?"

Lin Tan lowered his voice and coughed, "Tangtang, you may not know... It's not that I'm deliberately stopping you, it's just that... it's not convenient to disturb Prince Su right now!"

Xie Yutang glanced at him sideways.

“Young Master Su is young and impetuous, and he has drunk strong liquor. I’m afraid he might be in trouble now…” Lin Tan covered his mouth with his sleeve, revealing a perfectly measured “understanding of men” understanding, “Why don’t we wait until this matter is over, and then I will give that dancer to Young Master Su?”

Are you so sure?

Lin Tan was interrupted by Xie Yutang halfway through her sentence, and was slightly taken aback, "What did you say?"

"I say, Your Highness, are you so sure that Prince Su is currently in a room with that dancer?"

Of course.

That's so tender it'll melt your bones.

The most potent aphrodisiac in the martial arts world, known as "Bone-Soothing," is feared by everyone.

The nuns in the nunnery can all turn into a pool of blissful water, and even a high monk who is blessed with them will obediently fall into a gentle embrace.

It's so alluring, it can bewitch the soul, and can only be solved through romantic encounters... unless one suffocates from the urge to suffocate.

He went to great lengths to get this little bit, just to be absolutely sure.

That little bastard's secret rendezvous with Xie Yutang at the Lantern Festival was one thing, but who knows what tricks he used to manage to seduce Xie Yutang into still protecting him in front of everyone today.

He, the dignified Third Prince of Da Yan, is not even as good as a little bastard.

Where does he put his face?!

It was clearly Lin Tan who was the one Xie Yutang truly cared about, and it was clearly Lin Tan who was the one Xie Yutang single-mindedly pursued and fawned over.

All of this originally belonged to him! His!

Lin Tan recalled the picture book in the carriage that day. This little bastard who only knows how to use despicable means to please the emperor with his looks, he was determined to sully him and see what he would use to seduce people.

Besides... that dancer was also a master of bedroom arts, no man could resist her, and that little bastard was drugged.

Men, no matter how pure and innocent they pretend to be on ordinary days, when it comes to this kind of situation, hehe... He had planned everything so that Xie Yutang would catch him in the act.

He knew Xie Yutang's personality; he hated betrayal the most.

If she were to witness her Luan Chong making love with another woman in bed... she would naturally distance herself from him without him even having to say a word, finding it unlucky to even glance at him.

Xie Yutang coldly observed Lin Tan's expression, already fully aware that from Wei Xianxi to the servants on the deck and the dancers in this room, it was likely all arranged by him long ago.

A flash of coldness crossed Xie Yutang's eyes.

She had expected Lin Tan to use some tricks, but she never imagined she would be this despicable.

He truly didn't even care about the dignity of being a prince.

Xie Yutang sneered and was about to push the door open when someone behind her kicked it open first.

Lin Tan's face was full of concern for her:

"Tangtang, if you insist on seeing it with your own eyes, I will accompany you to catch this adulterous couple!"

[Author's Note]

The following section is about to enter a paid phase—oh no, I mean, it's about to get into a really, really exciting plot! The male and female leads will shine brightly, the intimate moments will intensify, and there's even chain play waiting for you! [covering face and peeking]

My darlings, let's meet again in the next chapter, okay?! [Let me see...]

—

Please add my new story to your favorites again [Let me see it]

Despite being debuffed, she's still incredibly popular.

Winther was a player of "The Rich Heiress Simulator," and she had allocated all her attribute points to "Beauty," intending to live a carefree and leisurely life. However, when she woke up, she found herself transported to another world, and the men around her were all incredibly treacherous—

1. An actor whose potential partners are being poached from all sides, ready to stab him in the back at any moment.

2. The e-sports god who treats you like an ATM

3. The stepfather who is trying to seize your family property.

With a luck stat of 0, Winther consistently manages to precisely avoid buffs like [artistic talent/academic genius aura/unbelievably wealthy...], drawing only a few debuffs instead.

[Skin hunger: You can't live without handsome men, you'd rather cry while doing laundry on a handsome man's eight-pack abs than laugh on a soft velvet bed]

Winsor tore up the rival company's contract in the actor's hand and pinned him in front of the desk: "Tell me how to get a kickback, oh no, thank you, you're really important to the company."

[The Darkly Crawling Paranoiac: Your fanatical, gloomy, and inhumanly possessive desire for your idol makes you the number one influencer]

Winsor cornered the e-sports heartthrob who was packing up his peripherals against the wall: "I bought the club for you, so why did you shake hands with the female host? Why did you smile at her? Do you need to be locked up so you can realize your place?"

[Thinking you're an Alpha: You, who consider yourself an Alpha, look down on all pitiful, weak, and helpless Omegas.]

Facing his powerful stepfather, Winther boldly touched the back of his neck: "As an Omega, why don't you suppress your pheromones? Do you really want me to mark you?"

Not only that, the side quests are all incredibly bizarre—

[Best Actor Side Story: You are a heartless capitalist. Your only cash cow was exploited to the point of contract termination, becoming the final straw that broke the company's back]

[Esports God Side Story: After flirting with someone until they're completely infatuated, he tells them he's just a heartless tool for ranking up, and gets cyberbullied by his fans and honest bystanders until he deletes his account]

[Side story of the younger father: He uses every trick in the book to bring this aloof beauty down to earth, but their immoral relationship is exposed by paparazzi, and the company's stock price plummets.]

System friendly reminder: The more sensational, the more money you make!

Having completely let loose, Winsor unlocked a series of achievements: [Others commit immoral acts, she willingly debases herself; she commits immoral acts, a love that captivates the world], [The woman who unites the trolls in the esports world], [There's no one in this world you care about anymore]

As the account balance keeps increasing from zero, the favorability rating of the person you're trying to win over also drops drastically.

Before dropping to 0, Winther, with the "running away with a baby" debuff, sent breakup letters to three men saying "Honey, I'm pregnant with your child," then signed the last property transfer document, made a beautiful escape, and planned to settle in Europe.

Having ordered seven or eight male models, she was ready to embark on her glamorous life as a female CEO, only to find that three men had all kissed her.

She then realized that it wasn't a favorability rating, but a "confession countdown".