Chapter 64, "Madam"
Huaiqing, who was closest, quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe her face.
Huai Zhu hurriedly asked, "What's wrong, young lady?"
Yun Kui pressed her nose, and when the bleeding stopped, she smiled awkwardly, "I'm fine, it's just that the weather is too dry, and I'm feeling a bit feverish..."
The shopkeeper smiled knowingly, "Don't worry, young lady, this is a fine product, highly favored by the upper class. You'll know how good it is once you try it."
Huaiqing and Huaizhu were both skilled in martial arts, and they couldn't see what function the chain had in protecting vital organs. Moreover, the more they looked at it, the more it seemed to be... used for flirting in the bedroom.
Your Highness, with your noble and precious body, would never use such a thing.
Both women were waiting for Yun Kui's decision. If the young lady didn't want it but couldn't bring herself to ask, they were ready to draw their swords and get the three hundred taels of silver back.
Yun Kui looked at the gold chain, her cheeks blushing silently.
Although it seems... it's not the effect she wanted, and it's her own fault for not explaining clearly. Seeing the gold chain that someone else had customized, she agreed to it half-heartedly without thinking, causing the shop owner and the goldsmith to misunderstand her true intentions.
But since the money has already been given, I have no choice but to... reluctantly accept it.
She actually quite wanted to see His Highness wear this necklace, but it was very likely that he would not only refuse, but even punish her... Thinking of this, even her waist began to ache slightly.
But then I thought, they're bed partners now. She's his antidote, so he has to use his looks to satisfy all her needs. That's fair, right? He gets all the benefits, why should he?
Yun Kui rubbed her hands together, eager to try her luck, and immediately decided to take the gold chain with her.
As Yun Kui left the jewelry store, she was plotting how to trick the Crown Prince into wearing the chain when she was suddenly interrupted by a noisy commotion of shouting and cursing.
Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw several pimps surrounding a man dressed in a blue cloth jacket outside the brothel across the street, punching and kicking him. The man being beaten was covered in blood, curled up on the ground with his head in his hands, and kept making muffled groans of pain.
Huaiqing and Huaizhu frowned and immediately escorted Yunkui away by taking a detour.
The man who had been beaten was scrambling to escape, covering his head. Through a gap in the wall, he caught a glimpse of a woman's face and couldn't help but cry out in surprise, "A-Kui? Was that you?"
Upon hearing this unfamiliar yet familiar voice, Yun Kui's heart tightened, and her legs seemed to freeze in place as if filled with lead.
It felt like a sharp knife had ripped open my heart, and long-forgotten memories flooded in.
"Ah Kui, you're living in my house, you'll be my wife in the future, so what's wrong with pinching my cheeks?"
“They weren’t wrong to scold you. Your mother was a notorious woman in the surrounding area. She gave birth to a daughter out of wedlock and was abandoned. That’s why she came to my parents in such a sorry state. Our family was willing to take you in, which is a great kindness that we have to repay, you know?”
"If you're willing to give me a kiss, I'll put in a good word for you with Master Zhu and make him treat you better. He'll give you meat to eat and money to spend in the future."
...
Childhood memories surfaced in her mind, and Yun Kui felt cold all over, her face extremely pale. She didn't want to have any contact with people from her past anymore, but her gaze still unconsciously turned towards them.
The man on the ground, his face bruised and swollen, stared intently at her with his cloudy eyes, his excitement barely contained: "Ah Kui, it really is you! You're actually here? Wait, don't go yet!"
He then clasped his hands together and begged the tortoise priest for mercy, saying, "Brothers, this is my sister! My dear sister! Please give me two more days, and I will definitely pay back the money I owe you! Look, my sister is dressed in gold and silver; she must have money!"
The pimps looked at Yun Kui, seemingly noticing her decent attire and the maidservant beside her. They exchanged glances and finally stopped.
Huaiqing asked, "Does the young lady recognize this person?"
Yun Kui stared stiffly at the man on the ground. Despite the years that had passed, she could still recognize his familiar features upon closer inspection.
It turned out to be her cousin, Qi Chengye, whom she hadn't seen for seven years.
Qi Chengye struggled to his feet. His right leg seemed to be limping, and his face was covered in bruises. Half of his face was unshaven, and blood mixed with dust hung from the corner of his mouth. He looked disheveled, but his appearance was almost the same as before.
He looked Yun Kui up and down. This girl had grown up a bit since she was a child, but her features hadn't changed much. She was already a beauty when she was eight or nine. She was just thin and small when she was young, but now she had grown into a young lady. She was wearing an apricot-pink embroidered jacket and skirt, her skin was fair and rosy, and her chest was full and round. She looked like she had been raised in a wealthy family.
He staggered to his feet and stepped forward, trying to grab her arm, but was blocked by the hilt of the sword in Huaiqing's hand.
Qi Chengye saw her come out of the gold shop with two maids carrying swords. One of the maids was carrying a two-foot-long brocade box, which must have contained the gold jewelry she had just bought. She really had made something of herself.
He squinted, his face beaming with a smile: "Ah Kui, I'm your cousin! You still remember me, don't you? Our family raised you for ten years, and now you've made a name for yourself. Your cousin has an urgent matter to ask for your help, and you'll definitely help your cousin, right?"
Seeing his disheveled appearance, Yun Kui felt no sympathy or pity whatsoever.
The men in this family are lecherous, gambling, and addicted to alcohol, while the aunt is mean-spirited, snobbish, and lazy. They had been hoping to sell her for a good price to supplement the family's income. Now that she's run away, they're going to be incredibly anxious and angry.
After she escaped from that house, she had wondered how they would fare. Seeing Qi Chengye homeless and being beaten and kicked on the streets, she was not surprised at all.
Yun Kui didn't want to see this person again, nor did she want to recall the past. She coldly said, "I don't know you."
These words were spoken to Qi Chengye, and also to distance himself from the group of pimps.
Upon hearing this, and seeing her turn to leave, the pimps immediately rushed forward shouting and fighting, pinning Qi Chengye to the ground. One of them swung his fist and punched him in the face, while another kicked him in the waist and abdomen.
Qi Chengye was in so much pain that his whole body was convulsing. He shouted and cursed, "A-Kui! Don't be ungrateful! You've forgotten who raised you just because you're living a good life now! Who are you now as a concubine? Do they even know what kind of person your mother was? Do they even know that you were once betrothed to someone?"
Yun Kui clenched her fists tightly, turned her head and said coldly, "What nonsense are you spouting!"
Qi Chengye's mouth was full of blood, and his face was contorted with pain. When she finally turned around, he forced a smile and said, "Lend me some money, not much, just a thousand taels will do! That's not enough for you to make a few pieces of jewelry, is it?"
Yun Kui knew perfectly well that he had gambled away all the family's money long ago, and that he deserved to be in this state.
Seeing this person's face again, she felt almost a physical revulsion. "My mother gave money to my uncle before she died; I heard it with my own ears. Later, when I was older and not even as tall as a table, I earned money by serving tea and water and washing clothes. The money my mother gave me, plus what I earned myself, was enough to support myself. In fact, you and my uncle stole quite a bit from me. From the moment my aunt wanted to give me to a wealthy man as a concubine, I severed all ties with your family..."
"You think you can just sever ties like that?" Before he could finish speaking, Qi Chengye interrupted him, "You're so high and mighty, unwilling to be a concubine to a wealthy man, but now you're someone's mistress, aren't you? They've even hired female servants for you. What, is your master keeping a close eye on you, afraid you'll go out and cheat on him?"
Before Yun Kui could refute, Huai Qing took the initiative, kicking the man who had broken free from the group of pimps to the ground and then crushing him hard on the face.
Qi Chengye immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, and two of his teeth were broken.
His mouth was spitting blood: "Even if you kill me, you can't erase the past! Besides, it's broad daylight, do you dare to kill me? Let me tell you, if you don't leave the money here today, don't even think about going back to be a concubine in comfort! Your mother is shameless, and you're a little vixen too. If I just mention it to your master, no one will have a good life from now on!"
Many people gathered around to watch the commotion. Huaiqing and Huaizhu exchanged a glance, both harboring murderous intent in their eyes.
Qi Chengye saw the murderous intent in their eyes, shuddered, and softened his voice: "Okay, A-Kui, give me the money, and I'll leave immediately. Just pretend I didn't say anything earlier, and we'll keep to ourselves from now on..."
Yun Kui clenched her fingers tightly and gritted her teeth, saying, "Let's go, we don't need to worry about him..."
She didn't have the power to kill someone in the street in front of everyone, and she didn't want to make a big fuss and attract soldiers and more civilians, ultimately leaving the Crown Prince to clean up her mess.
Deep down, she didn't even want him to know any of this.
It's a rare opportunity for her to leave the palace, and yet this lowly palace maid has caused such a disgraceful incident... No matter how much His Highness dotes on her, he wouldn't want to bother with such filthy matters.
However, what people fear most often comes to pass.
As soon as he finished speaking, a tall and imposing figure suddenly appeared at the edge of the horizon.
Yun Kui's pupils contracted sharply, and her heart skipped a beat.
Qin Ge and Zhao Yue cleared a path, driving away the onlookers.
Qi Chengye, pinned to the ground by Huai Qing, cursed even more fiercely: "Murder! This little slut tried to kill her own cousin! Help!"
Before he could finish speaking, a gag was forcibly stuffed into his mouth. Qin Ge skillfully pinned him to the ground, lifted his right arm and twisted it sharply. Immediately, there was a cracking sound of bones dislocating. Qi Chengye was instantly covered in cold sweat, his veins bulging, and his roar was stuck in his throat.
Then Qin Ge used the same method to dislocate his other arm and break his two legs. Qi Chengye convulsed and convulsed all over, and fainted on the spot.
The surrounding people were terrified and scattered. The pimps who had been ganging up on the guard had witnessed his ruthless methods and were filled with fear. They all looked at the tall and imposing man behind him.
The newcomer, dressed in a dark gold robe with subtle patterns, walked slowly from the crowd. He was tall and straight, with a cold and stern expression and eyes like icy pools. His innate aura of authority was incredibly imposing.
The Crown Prince walked closer, looking down at Qi Chengye, who was slumped on the ground, with an expression of disgust as if he were looking down at a pile of mud. He then slowly said, "Take him away. I have questions for you."
Yun Kui's fingernails dug deeply into her palms, and her body trembled slightly.
"Questions...what are you asking?"
"Could it be that you heard Qi Chengye's foul language earlier and want to confirm it again?"
She didn't know how much he had overheard, but she figured he had heard everything he was supposed to hear. She just felt a chill run through her body and wanted to escape.
"Slut," "promiscuous," "whore"... these are all taboos for him.
She had only met Li Meng once and exchanged a few words with him, yet he had already flew into a rage; how much more so when she was insulted with such filthy and vile words in the street today.
Qin Ge explained his purpose to the group of pimps, without mentioning the Crown Prince's identity, but showing his Imperial Guard badge. The pimps knew they couldn't afford to offend him, and were also afraid of the methods he had used on Qi Chengye earlier, so they had no choice but to let him take the person away first.
Yun Kui kept her head down, but out of the corner of her eye she saw the Crown Prince turn around and slowly walk towards her.
She clenched her fists tightly, silently awaiting the coming storm.
However, instead of the cold treatment she had imagined, she saw him slowly walk up to her and say in a calm tone, "From now on, if anyone dares to bully you, you don't need to endure it or consider the consequences. No matter who it is, even if they are beaten to death in the street, I will protect you."
Her heart skipped a beat, and she raised her wet almond-shaped eyes to meet his gaze, which had softened and become almost gentle.
She felt a lump in her throat, a thousand words stuck in her throat, unable to utter a single one.
"Your Highness, don't believe him..."
She pleaded softly in her heart.
If His Highness wants to ask questions, it must be about her. What kind of pleasant words could Qi Chengye possibly utter? She had already learned that from him; after all these years, he hasn't changed. He's bound to insult her mother and herself…
The Crown Prince sighed deeply, stepped forward and embraced her, patted her back, and whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, I can hear your heart's voice, and naturally I can hear his too."
Yun Kui's tense body relaxed slightly as the man's warm hand soothed her.
The Crown Prince instructed Huaiqing and Huaizhu, "Take the lady back first."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear him clearly.
Yun Kui's mind was buzzing, and it took her a long time to realize what he meant by that address.
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