"Tell your young lady that I'll invite her out to burn incense another day."

Qiu Shui turned around and instructed Wanwan's maid behind her. This maid was specially left here by Wanwan to serve her. After being in the border town for so long, she had gotten used to not having so many people around her.

"Yes, Miss Xu."

Suddenly, a commotion arose in the backyard, and then Li Wanwan's head maid hurriedly dragged away the maid who was with Xu Qiushui.

The young lady initially wanted to leave, but then she worried that something might have happened to her friend, so she turned back to the Lady of the Marquis and said...

"Aunt Hou, you go back first, I'll go check on Wanwan."

Lady Hou shook her head. She couldn't possibly leave the child here alone.

"Go ahead, I'll wait for you here. If anything happens, I'll call Xiangxiang over."

Xiangxiang's arrival means that Huo Xiaolong and Dani'er have both come.

Inside Wanwan's boudoir, the young lady clung to her quilt, refusing to let go. Xu Qiushui quickly followed two maids into the room, where Wanwan's own mother was also holding her, weeping.

"Wanwan," Qiushui called out.

"What's wrong? It's just going to change your clothes."

The pretty young woman's eyes were lifeless, and she clung tightly to her mother's hand. Seeing that she didn't speak, Qiu Shui walked to her side, untied her cloak, wrapped it around her, and hugged her tightly.

"What's wrong? Tell me, oh."

Madam Li waved her hand, clearing everyone out, and said to Qiu Shui...

"When Wanwan went back to her room to change her clothes, she was... she was assaulted by her father's friend's son..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Qiu Shui forcefully pulled back the blanket and saw the bruises on her friend's shoulder. Only her shoulder was exposed; her lower body clothing was fine.

So Qiu Shui patted her friend's face, making her look directly at him, and said seriously.

"Li Wanwan!"

"I'm asking you, where did he touch you? Did he touch your whole body? Tell me!"

Xu Qiushui was afraid that she wouldn't remember the details. This incident had only happened recently, and there weren't many people gossiping about it yet. According to local customs, the marriage proposal would probably arrive soon.

If Wanwan gets confused at that time, she will definitely not be able to speak clearly.

But this is rape, and it can't just end like this.

Li Wanwan sobbed, her voice trembling as she spoke.

"Arms, shoulders, and..." The young woman pointed to her upper body.

"Qiushui, please help me... please help me... take me away, I don't want to marry him, I don't want to..."

“My father! My father will definitely force me to marry him, Qiu Shui…”

Xu Qiushui took a deep breath, her voice trembling, and wrapped her arms around her friend's shoulders.

"I will absolutely not let you marry him, don't worry."

"But Wanwan...your reputation..."

This matter could be big or small, but no matter how small, it has happened, and it's bound to get out. If the two of them get married, it can at least silence the gossip.

This is why, after the incident, they chose to let their daughter marry that man.

For the sake of face, for the sake of reputation.

"Qiu Shui, I don't care about my reputation or my face. She's my only daughter, my only one..."

It would be a real tragedy to let my daughter spend her life with a man like that.

Sixteen stopped this whole thing. Now, Sixteen is going to the capital with the Fengyuelou group, with the assassins from Zhanchenlou following behind. They're all planning to retire.

However, the sixteen men had jobs. They were officially registered instructors under the Prince of Zhenbei, and now they served as bodyguards for the young ladies when they had nothing else to do. Xu Qiushui was one of their clients, and she would always take him with her when she went out.

His martial arts skills are indeed excellent.

It was a coincidence that he got lost on his way back from using the restroom. The courtyards of wealthy families in Jiangnan were so large.

With no one around, Sixteen tiptoed onto the roof to get a clear view of the courtyard layout.

When they reached the roof of Li Wanwan's house, they heard shouts coming from inside, the kind that sounded unwilling. The man quietly jumped in through the window, knocked the perpetrator unconscious, and threw him into the water.

However, Li Wanwan's shouts were too loud and alerted people.

This scared Sixteen so much that he jumped onto the roof and didn't dare to move.

The man explained the whole story to Madam Hou for a long time. As soon as the woman heard about it, she immediately told the coachman to bring Hou Xiangxiang over.

"Madam Hou, have I caused you any trouble?" The man, not understanding the subtleties of women's banquets, said with his head down.

Lady Hou shook her head.

"Just wait to go back and collect your reward."

"Madam Xie!"

When the young girl in the python robe, followed by a green grasshopper and a big girl in grassland attire, entered the boudoir, Madam Li was completely dumbfounded.

"Your Highness...?"

Who bullied you?

Huo Xiaolong bowed to Madam Li and then asked the question directly.

"The Prince of Zhenbei?"

Li Wanwan was also surprised. Could this matter have alarmed the Prince of Zhenbei?

"Hurry up and tell us, Wanwan, who cares about princes at a time like this?" Xu Qiushui urged from the side.

The man who had almost drowned in the lake was pulled up by Sixteen, and Hou Xiangxiang took out silver needles and pricked him awake.

"It was him...he bullied me," Wanwan said, pointing at the person who had arrived.

“My dear sister, cough... I have a heart full of love for you. I just drank some wine today and couldn’t control myself... You can kill me or torture me, I’m willing to do anything to atone for my sins.”

Huo Xiaolong glanced at the man on the ground, then turned and asked...

Do you like him? Do you want him to touch you?

Li Wanwan shook her head.

"I don't want to! I don't like him! I don't like him!" The young woman nestled into Xu Qiushui's arms and sobbed.

This thing is quite interesting, Huo Xiaolong thought to himself. The speed at which he voluntarily confesses his guilt doesn't even require torture.

"Did you hear that? They're not happy about it."

Seeing the disdainful look on the Prince of Zhenbei's face, the man paused for a while. This was not right. Shouldn't the woman praise his affection in this situation?

Long'er waved her hand, and Xiao Cao came over and dragged the man away. Like dragging a pig slaughtered during the Chinese New Year in Northeast China, the man screamed in agony.

“It was handled according to the rules, and you can still ask him for compensation.”

The young girl's decisive manner caught Madam Li and her daughter off guard. But Madam Li, having lived so many more years, stood up and said to Huo Xiaolong...

"Thank you for making this trip, Your Highness."

"It's alright."

To be honest, Huo Xiaolong acted all respectable in public, but the two girlfriends following him were rolling their eyes at him.

“I don’t want to hear anything outside about Miss Li losing her virginity. Besides, he didn’t finish. It’s alright. After you drink the calming soup, you’ll still be Miss Li tomorrow.”

The girl in the python robe stood in front of the bed, looking at Li Wanwan. It took immense courage for her to stand up and testify against the man at a time like this.

Miss Li is very nice.

She's really doing a great job in this era and with this prevailing social atmosphere.