Chapter 251
Murong Huai Shi kept grumbling and complaining, like a resentful woman confined to her boudoir, chattering on and on.
Tao Tao rubbed her throbbing temples speechlessly and said impatiently, "Alright! One or two complaints is enough, are you never going to stop?"
"You don't think you can boss me around just because I've lost the Crown Prince and Duan Gan, do you? You must be dreaming."
He was rebuffed by her several times, so embarrassed that his face turned red. He angrily kept pointing at her, unable to even utter a word.
He turned his head and looked around, then finally picked up the tea on the table and drank it all in one gulp.
Seeing his expression, she knew he had calmed down, so she said, "There's no need to worry about this. It was the Crown Prince who requested the decree, and the Emperor gave the order. Disobeying the decree is punishable by death. How could the Prince's Mansion possibly disobey the Emperor's command?"
"Who's wrong? Are you wrong? Am I wrong? Nobody's wrong. So who's wrong? The Crown Prince? The Emperor? If Duan Gan has the ability, he should go and settle accounts with them."
"Oh no, the Crown Prince is already in prison. If Duan Gan is still not satisfied and comes to you to vent his anger, then you can just suggest that he go see the person who issued the decree."
Her self-righteous demeanor showed no sign of her being wrong, and her last words made his lips twitch.
If he were to say that to Duan Gan, he would probably be asking for his own demise.
But upon closer reflection, what she said wasn't entirely unreasonable. The Prince's Mansion was merely acting under orders, and they couldn't possibly refuse this marriage.
"Oh, right, give me the token for withdrawing money from the bank."
Tao Tao opened her palm and placed it in front of him. Murong Huai Shi was stunned for a moment, looked down at it, and pondered for several seconds. Just as he was about to take it off, he suddenly realized that she had no chance with Duan Gan at all.
Moreover, it's estimated that Duan Gan won't care about her anymore, and the Crown Prince basically has no chance of turning things around, so Tao Tao is essentially worthless, and there's no need to try to please her.
Thinking this, he hardened up and looked up at her, only to see a blur before his eyes, and then the jade pendant at his waist fell into her hand.
"You!" He stared at her in shock.
“Prince Murong, don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking. What’s rightfully mine, I will definitely get my hands on.”
She looked down at the two warm yellow, bar-shaped jade pendants in her hand, carefully examining each one carved with a carp; together they made a pair.
"Give Tao Tao back!"
Murong Huai Shi glared and tried to snatch it, but she nimbly dodged him.
He said, exasperated and helpless, "You have to leave one for me!"
Upon hearing this, Tao Tao looked him up and down suspiciously, as if judging the truthfulness of his words. She lowered her long eyelashes, pondered for a moment, and then tossed one of the items back to him.
The jade pendant traced an arc in the air, and Murong Huaishi quickly caught it with both hands.
"Anyway, I can't control you. Do whatever you want."
After saying that, he glanced at her unhappily, turned around, and hurriedly walked away with his hands behind his back.
Tao Tao looked down at the teacup he had drunk from, then suddenly reached out and threw it to the ground, making a crisp shattering sound. A moment later, Leng Qiao walked in nervously.
She shook her head and said, "It's nothing."
Is the one outside still there?
Leng Qiao frowned slightly, understanding who she was referring to, and nodded slightly, "Yes, does the county princess wish to see him?"
"It's nothing, I just got up too early, I'll rest for a bit."
"Then I'll stay outside."
Tao Tao smiled and said, "Hmm, are you hungry? What would you like to eat for dinner later? I'll have someone make it in the kitchen."
Upon hearing this, Leng Qiao's lips curved slightly upwards, and she said softly, "This subordinate is willing."
She nodded. "Okay then."
Night falls, and the stars twinkle.
She sat before her dressing table, gazing at her snow-white, rosy face in the mirror, quietly wiping the ends of her damp hair, her expression thoughtful.
Suddenly Asu cawed. She frowned and said in a low voice, "Keep your voice down, it's late at night."
Just then, the pair of carved dragon and phoenix candlesticks on the table suddenly fell over, and with a soft thud, the candlelight went out.
Sitting in front of the bronze mirror, Tao Tao calmly moved the small candlestick next to her closer to her, and continued to wipe her half-dry hair in the dim light.
Suddenly, a tall, imposing black shadow appeared behind her, exuding an oppressive aura, its shadow enveloping her entirely.
When she looked up, her gaze froze, her movements paused, and she couldn't help but feel nervous.
The man seemed to realize she had seen him. He reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her up from the stool and roughly pressing her against the table in front of the bronze mirror. The hard edge of the table made her soft stomach ache.
Tao Tao frowned, and just as she was about to raise her head, someone grabbed her chin and forced her to lift it, facing the bronze mirror.
Immediately afterwards, a broad, hot body pressed against her back. He leaned down, his cool breath spraying onto her reddened earlobes, his dark, sinister eyes fixed on her face in the mirror.
He asked through gritted teeth, "Why did you lie to me?"
She frowned in pain, and replied innocently and suspiciously, "What did I lie to you about?"
Duan Gan sneered, recalling Qi Heng's smug face and the words she had said: "Xiao Tao and I are mutually in love."
Jealousy was burning fiercely within him, driving him to desperately want to skin the culprit who had been toying with him alive, tear him apart, and devour him whole.
"Tao Tao, stop pretending to be innocent in front of me. I won't believe a word you say. I won't fall for your tricks again!"
The words had barely left her ears when she suddenly felt a chill under her clothes, causing her to gasp in pain.
"You?!" His pupils widened slightly, revealing a look of shock as he stared at the flushed face reflected in the bronze mirror.
His ears instantly turned red, and he pursed his lips, whispering, "You... how could you..."
In the past, they always touched each other from a distance. The few times they did it were only when they couldn't control themselves and their desires got the better of them. Instantly, his jealous and angry mood eased a lot.
Did she know he was coming and do it on purpose? So, she actually has feelings for him, otherwise why would she deliberately seduce him?
But the thought that Qi Heng might have also encountered the places he had been to made him feel terrible, as if he were being held tightly by someone, and he was driven mad with jealousy.
He lost control of his strength and hit her a little too hard. Tao Tao gasped for breath, tears welling in the corners of her red eyes, and she moaned softly, "Ugh...you...you be gentle..."
"...Idiot, you're hurting me..."
When he heard her say it hurt, he subconsciously loosened his grip, his eyes fixed on her delicate, tearful appearance, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of tenderness in his heart.
Duan Gan stepped back, turned her over, took her hands and wrapped them around his neck, and rubbed her reddened belly with his large hand.
Those sweet, coquettish words made his throat tighten.
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