Whenever and wherever this person appears, everything around him seems to automatically become the background.

"Your Highness, I beg you to make the decision on this matter." After a moment of hesitation, Liu Yunzhou pleaded with the Crown Prince.

"Make the decision?" The Crown Prince slightly raised his eyelids and looked at Liu Yunzhou. "Make what decision?"

Xie Lingqin looked at the Crown Prince. Although she found Liu Yunzhou's pedantry laughable, she found herself quite interested.

She suddenly wanted to see what Yuwen Yao would do at this moment.

Yuwen Yao's eyes lingered on Xie Lingqin's face for a moment before he looked away and turned to Liu Yunzhou. "Do you think a weak, normal woman would dare to enter the arena?"

Liu Yunzhou seemed surprised that the Crown Prince would ask this question. After thinking for a moment, he shook his head and said, "No."

"If that's the case, then why do you take those principles of morality and ethics that you apply to normal people, when you treat Xie Lingqin as if it were just a matter of helping each other in a life-or-death situation? Why are you being so serious about it?"

Yuwen Yao's rhetorical question, coupled with his deep and unfathomable eyes, rendered Liu Yunzhou speechless. It was as if he himself was doubting whether Xie Lingqin should be a woman or a man.

"Then, I understand. This matter will not be mentioned again."

Liu Yunzhou bowed slightly and left.

Yu Qingyi was smiling and touching his nose, seemingly wanting to go forward and say something, but after being given a cold look by the Crown Prince, he had no choice but to slink away.

Tingfeng and Zihe instinctively stepped back.

Xie Danling glanced at Tingfeng and Zihe, unable to explain or understand, and consciously stepped back.

Xie Lingqin then gritted her teeth and whispered, "Yuwen Yao, you're saying I'm not normal. You're ruining my reputation."

“If your reputation is ruined, no one will dare to make a move on you, and you will only belong to me.”

Yuwen Yao didn't take it to heart; on the contrary, he was proud, a smile playing on his lips. "You can only be mine, that's wonderful."

That smug attitude...

Xie Lingqin glanced around and really wanted to hit him.

"Since no one's around, Xie Lingqin, give me a kiss."

"Get out—" Xie Lingqin immediately stepped back cautiously. "Yuwen Yao, remember, our relationship is currently one that cannot be made public, understand?"

Yuwen Yao took a step back, a hint of resentment on his face. "Alright, when can we go to sleep?"

Xie Lingqin...

"It depends on my mood."

Xie Lingqin left a sentence, walked straight ahead, and then summoned Zihe and Xie Danling back to the General's Mansion.

...

The general's mansion gates were wide open, and several young men in brocade robes were pacing back and forth, looking around.

Upon seeing Xie Danling return, they immediately rushed over to her.

"Brother Danling, are you alright?"

"Thank goodness. When such a big thing happened there before, we thought something had happened to you, so we came to check on you."

Xie Lingqin stood aside, glanced at the few young men who were surrounding Xie Danling and asking after her well-being, and then looked at Xie Danling's grateful expression of relief after surviving the ordeal. She called Zihe over, knowing that if they missed them, they would have to enter the mansion.

"Since you're here, why don't you come in and have a seat?"

Behind him, Xie Danling extended a joyful invitation to several of his classmates' children.

"No need, no need. We're relieved to see you're alright. We'll be going now."

Xie Danling watched her classmates leave, and when she turned around, she saw Xie Lingqin standing at the door looking at her.

Their eyes met, and Xie Danling looked awkward, but she still forced herself to walk over.

"Are these the people who dragged you to the arena?"

Xie Lingqin nodded her chin at the departing teenagers and asked.

Xie Danling nodded, then quickly defended herself, "It was my first time going to that place too."

"Did they ever take you to a brothel?"

"What?"

Xie Danling's face immediately turned red.

Not only her, but the two guards outside the General's Mansion were also shocked when they heard Xie Lingqin say such a thing.

However, Xie Lingqin merely glanced at them with disdain, and they immediately lowered their heads.

"Why are you blushing? You're thirteen already. Your father has hired a teacher to teach you about bedroom arts."

Xie Lingqin was more composed and unfazed than anyone else.

Xie Danling's ears immediately turned red, and she seemed to want to refute, but for some reason, under Xie Lingqin's gaze and tone, she obediently quieted down, "Yes, but I didn't go."

"So, do you yearn for it?"

Xie Lingqin asked again.

Xie Danling was now truly blushing furiously; her fair face was flushed a deep pink, as if painted with peach blossoms.

Although Zihe didn't understand why her young lady was asking these questions, she felt that her young lady would never do or say anything useless, especially to the young master. So she composed herself.

"Okay, go back to sleep."

Xie Lingqin clearly didn't want to know Xie Danling's answer, and turned around to head towards Qingshui Pavilion.

Zihe followed closely behind.

When Xie Danling looked up again, Xie Lingqin was nowhere to be seen. He hesitated for a long time and then muttered something under his breath.

"Big sister's mouth is too sharp, hmph, I will never forgive her."

After walking a few steps, I hypnotized myself again, "She stood up for me today, how amazing."

Then, Xie Danling returned to her courtyard in a state of self-hypnosis and indignant muttering.

"Miss, are you alright? I've heard everything. It's so good that you're all back safe and sound."

As soon as I returned to the courtyard, the giant clam came to greet me.

"Miss, do you think this was really done by Eunuch Zhuang, who serves Consort Lan?"

Zihe couldn't help but feel puzzled.

Xie Lingqin looked at her and said, "You also think there's something fishy about this, right?"

Zihe nodded, "Yes, I find it strange."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!