You don't deserve it.

The Li River is just as lively at night as it is during the day. There are all kinds of stalls on both banks, and the boats passing by in the middle of the river have bright lanterns hanging from their awnings. The light gauze hanging at the cabin door sways gently in the night breeze, adding a touch of enchanting charm.

There are many painted boats and covered boats on the river, among which the most eye-catching is the three-story painted boat in the middle of the river, with upturned eaves and carved beams and painted rafters. Those who can board this large painted boat are either rich or noble, and the covered boats around it consciously keep their distance from it.

A few river lanterns still floated on the river, and the painted boats were decorated with lanterns, which were reflected in the water like a mirage.

Glamorous and psychedelic.

The painted boat sailed by, leaving ripples on the lake. From time to time, sweet laughter could be heard from the cabin, and some women dressed in their finest attire stood on the deck, each with their own unique beauty, whether slender or plump.

Although not as explicit as those in typical brothels, it was still clear that this pleasure boat was indeed a place of pleasure.

"This is the painted boat on the Li River that you wanted to see?"

Ginkgo was also speechless; she had underestimated the extravagance of the place.

This is no pleasure boat, it's a mobile brothel!

Many small boats with awnings were moored along the riverbank. Fu Zhiqiao hired one, and she stepped steadily onto the deck. She looked back at Yinxing, who was still in a daze, and said, "Since we're here, let's get on the boat!"

Ginkgo was a little nervous and swallowed hard. "Oh, okay."

The small boat glided slowly across the river. Looking up, one could see a sky full of twinkling stars and feel the evening breeze gently caressing one's cheeks. Fu Zhiqiao remarked that a night cruise on the Li River was indeed a delightful experience.

In the distance, faint sounds of a piano and music drifted over, lingering and swirling in the air.

Looking around in the direction of the sound, Fu Zhiqiao noticed that it seemed to be coming from the three-story pleasure boat. She casually tossed a silver ingot to the boatman, asking him to move closer to the boat so she could hear the music more clearly.

As she got closer, she realized that the music was indeed coming from the painted boat. A woman was playing the zither on the second-floor deck, her fingers moving up and down, the music flowing like a mountain spring winding its way from a secluded valley.

It would be wonderful to have free music to listen to.

The boatman was very skilled at rowing, and her small boat maintained a perfect distance from the painted boat.

Fu Zhi Qiao was calm and composed, her mind as still as water. Just as she was about to doze off, Yin Xing exclaimed in her ear, "Miss, look!"

"What are you looking at?"

Looking in the direction Ginkgo was pointing, what was Xie Zhuo doing here?

On the deck of the painted boat, a gentle night breeze stirred the thin gauze curtains, causing them to flutter in the air.

Xie Zhuo stood at the stern, rubbing his forehead wearily. After emerging from the smoky cabin, the night breeze made him feel much better.

His eyes were exceptionally beautiful, but perhaps due to the effects of the alcohol, his usually clear and deep eyes now held a hint of wickedness, making them extremely alluring.

No woman could resist a man like that.

Fu Yan'er hid in the shadows, her heart skipped a beat. Seeing that no one was around, she walked up behind Xie Zhuo and curtsied, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness."

For her father's sake and for her own future, she had to take a gamble.

Xie Zhuo turned around. "Who are you?"

Fu Yan'er's heart raced. She adopted a shy posture, crossed her arms, and slightly bent her knees in a curtsy: "This humble woman is called Fu Yan'er. Does Your Highness not remember me?"

Xie Zhuo: "?"

The dance costume is made of sheer fabric, soft and flowing, which perfectly showcases a beautiful waistline.

Xie Zhuo glanced at her and looked away. Her gorgeous attire clearly indicated that she was a dancer performing at the banquet. How could he know a dancer here when it was his first time in Yuzhou?

"Does Your Highness remember when you bumped into me on the street a few days ago?"

Seeing that Xie Zhuo still didn't remember, Fu Yan'er looked somewhat embarrassed: "I've come to seek justice."

"If you have a grievance but don't go to the government office, what's the use of coming to me?"

"I come from the Fu family, a family of medicine merchants. Fu Mingjie is my father." Fu Yan'er suppressed her grievances and carefully observed his expression. "I have no other choice. Our Fu family has a century-old reputation. We would never do such a thing as passing off inferior goods as superior ones. Please, Your Highness, investigate."

Speaking of Fu Mingjie, Xie Zhuo's expression remained indifferent. "The government is investigating this matter. If it is truly unrelated to him, the government will release him and let him go home."

Fu Yan'er's tears were about to fall, and she looked extremely aggrieved.

She immediately knelt at Xie Zhuo's feet, "My father is old. Could you please make an exception for me, his daughter, and let me bring some clothes and food in?"

"If Your Highness could show leniency," Fu Yan'er looked at Xie Zhuo with her watery eyes, then lowered her head shyly, "I...I am willing to serve you as a slave for the rest of my life."

As she spoke, two blushes rose on her cheeks, and even her ears were tinged with a vibrant peach color.

"Miss Fu, your father's crimes will be judged by His Majesty. I cannot make that decision," Xie Zhuo's cold voice rang out.

"How could this be..." Fu Yan'er's face turned pale.

She tried her best to remain calm, and mustered up the courage to glance at Xie Zhuo. His young and handsome face was so calm and composed, and his gaze was extremely calm.

After a moment of stunned silence, disregarding all notions of dignity, she knelt on the ground and pleaded, "Please, please save my father! There must be a way, right? I'll do anything to save him."

She had seen what happened to Fu Zhi Qiao after Fu Chang Yue's death, and she absolutely could not let herself end up in that situation!

Fu Yan'er burst into tears. Her father was imprisoned, and the young master was not kind to her. She felt very wronged and sad. These tears were not entirely an act.

"Miss Fu, please go back!" Xie Zhuo turned around and didn't look at her again.

Fu Yan'er was unwilling to give up. In order to get the chance to see him, she even disguised herself as a dancer. She couldn't just leave empty-handed. She leaped forward and hugged Xie Zhuo tightly.

“Your Highness, look at me, I am willing to give myself to you.”

Xie Zhuo was caught off guard by her bold move and was suddenly wrapped around the waist from behind.

"Your Highness, we have already been intimate; I am already yours!"

"Let go." His brows instantly turned cold, a hint of disgust flashing in his eyes. Xie Zhuo exerted a little force, pulling her off him. "Second Miss Fu, do you even know how to spell 'restraint'?"

With a thud, Fu Yan'er fell to the ground. She was completely stunned, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Xie Zhuo took several steps back, making sure he was far enough away from her before standing still.

"Just because I touched you doesn't mean I have to take responsibility for you. How about I find someone who empties the chamber pot to actually touch you?"

"No!" Fu Yan'er felt a chill run down her spine. She could tell that Xie Zhuo's words were neither a threat nor a joke, but something he could actually do.

Fu Yan'er panicked completely. Didn't her mother say that as long as she was gentle and proactive, she could easily win over any man? Why didn't this trick work on the young master?

"hehe."

Where did that laughter come from?

Fu Yan'er had a bad feeling.

She turned her head and her head went blank for a moment. Her face, which had been flushed with embarrassment, turned deathly pale. It was...it was Fu Zhi Qiao!

What's Fu Zhi Qiao doing here?

Not far from the painted boat, a small awning boat was moored. A woman of exceptional beauty stood on the boat, her skin as white as snow and her features exquisite. The hazy moonlight shone on her head, revealing her shapely figure, especially her slender waist, which seemed as if an arm could easily encircle it.

Fu Zhiqiao stood at the bow of the boat with her arms crossed, looking like she was watching a good show.

Fu Yan'er's eyes met hers in the air for a moment.

"Little sister, I never imagined you would stoop so low." Fu Zhiqiao raised an eyebrow, her expression somewhat mocking.

Fu Yan'er remained in a daze, clearly still reeling from the shock she had just experienced.

Fu Zhi Qiao's clear voice was laced with malicious mockery, "Tsk tsk, you're so humble, you're practically throwing yourself at someone and they still don't even like you, how shameful!"

Fu Yan'er's eyes widened, her face turned pale and then flushed red, wishing she could disappear into the ground, her hands clenched tightly in her sleeves.

Fu Zhi Qiao... Fu Zhi Qiao saw my most vulnerable side...

Fu Yan'er trembled all over, "Fu Zhi Qiao, shut up!"

"I can shut up, but everyone else has to shut up too."

Fu Yan'er looked around as if waking from a dream. She noticed that several small boats had gathered around, and the people on them were peering out at the situation on the pleasure boat.

The small boat was quite far from the painted boat, so you could only see its shape but not its face. Even so, Fu Yan'er still felt a chill run down her spine, as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

The moment Xie Zhuo saw Fu Zhi Qiao appear, his heart sank. She had already distanced herself from him because of the engagement, and now she saw him being entangled with another woman...

Seeing Xie Zhuo on the pleasure boat, Fu Zhi Qiao wasn't surprised at all. No man is immune to beauty, not even the most upright gentleman or aloof nobleman; he was simply revealing his true nature.

Noticing the change in her expression, Xie Zhuo frowned and immediately distanced himself from the situation: "She pounced on me herself, I dodged her, really!"

Fu Zhi Qiao looked at Fu Yan'er on the ground with a half-smile, then said to the boatman, "Let's go."

A flicker of anxiety crossed Xie Zhuo's eyes, and he hurriedly shouted towards the small boat, "You have to believe me!"

Xie Zhuo's mind and eyes were completely focused on Fu Zhi Qiao at this moment, and he could no longer see Fu Yan'er on the ground.

Fu Yan'er was no less shocked than the onlookers. Fu Zhi Qiao actually knew the Crown Prince? Wasn't she always staying in the countryside? How could she have the opportunity to know the Crown Prince?

Judging from the current situation, it seems that the young master is trying to curry favor with Fu Zhiqiao.

The small boat sailed further and further away. Seeing Xie Zhuo trying to follow Fu Zhi Qiao, Fu Yan'er suddenly felt a great resentment. Why did Fu Zhi Qiao always have to be one step ahead of her?

Her face was almost contorted as she shouted, "Is the young master's beloved Fu Zhi Qiao?"

It was because of her that Fu Zhi Qiao's misunderstanding of him worsened. Xie Zhuo's face showed obvious impatience, and he paused in his steps, "You have no right to call her by her name."

What people fear most is comparison.

With Fu Zhi Qiao Ming Zhu as an example, Fu Yan Er, a girl from a modest family, is simply not worth considering.

"She was rejected by someone before, and you still like her?" Fu Zhi Qiao's voice was sharp and full of resentment.

Xie Zhuo didn't want to answer Fu Yan'er's question here, but when he heard her mention Fu Zhi Qiao's broken engagement, he suppressed his anger and said, "So what?"

"Heh, so what? You actually said so what? How can a woman who's been jilted compare to me?" Fu Yan'er was filled with resentment and anger, her reason seemingly blown away by the wind. She hysterically asked, "What is it about me that I don't have compared to Fu Zhi Qiao?"

She was unwilling to accept it; she was truly unwilling to accept it!

She went to great lengths and swallowed her pride to get a chance, a chance to get closer to him, only to find that the person she was pursuing already had someone else in his heart.

This person is Fu Zhi Qiao, whom she has hated the most since childhood!

Fu Yan'er broke down, "Why do you like her and not me? She's just a used woman who was rejected by her fiancé, a stray dog ​​who was kicked out of her home!"

As he listened to Fu Yan'er's disparaging words about Fu Zhi Qiao, Xie Zhuo's deep-set eyes grew even colder, and a chilling aura emanated from him.

"Shut up! You're not worthy to call her by her name, you're not even worthy to carry her shoes."

These words completely devastated Fu Yan'er; her lips trembled, and she could no longer utter a single word.